3   1822  01252  7644 


THE 


OF  THE  GREAT  WEST 


MOSES   K.  ARMSTRONG 


LIBRARY 
UHivtaftiT^  Of 


II I II  mill  llllill  111  lilll'llirili'liill  ill  liniiriillli  mi  ll  l  ll  ^  24   West   Bro^rf  w  ay 

II  III  mill  II  mil  III!  mil  iiii  iii  jiiii  hi  hi  iiii  iiiiii  iiii  ii  i  ii       a.iuMn  — — 

3   1822   01252   7644 


F 


Entered,   According  to  Act  of  Congress,   in  the  Year  igoi  by 

MOSES  K.   ARMSTRONG 

IN  THE  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


IMOXliiik  J'RKSS  COMl'ANY, 

Pkiktkkk.  Bindi'.rs  and  Electuotvpf.rs, 

St.  I'atl,  Minn. 


TO   THE 


MINNESOTA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

This  Historical  SketcJi  Book  is  respectfully  dedicated 
by  the  author 

MOSES  K.  ARMSTRONG 


PREFACE. 


Nearly  half  a  century  ago  the  author  of  this  book,  at  the 
age  of  eighteen  years,  migrated  west  of  the  Mississippi  and 
began  his  frontier  life  as  a  pioneer  surveyor.  This  volume  is 
compiled  from  his  "Early  History  of  Dakota  Territory,""  pub- 
lished in  1866,  to  which  are  here  added  other  pioneer  sketches 
of  early  adventures,  Indian  wars,  overland  journeys,  and  pen 
pictures  of  pioneer  law  makers  in  the  legislature  and  in  con- 
gress thirty  and  forty  years  ago. 

All  the  historical  and  descrijjtive  sketches  herein  were 
written  at  the  time  and  place  wherein  the  scenes  are  laid,  by 
the  author,  who  was  an  actual  participant  and  a  personal 
witness  in  the  historical  drama  of  the  early  "Empire  Build- 
ers of  the  Great  West." 

The  original  manuscript,  on  file  in  the  library  of  the  Min- 
nesota Historical  Society,  narrates  many  personal  and  ex- 
citing events  which  have  been  dropped  from  this  volume,  for 
the  reason  that  the  parties  thereto  have  passed  from  the  stage 
of  action,  to  that  distant  and  silent  shore  in  the  great  beyond. 

The  Author. 


TESTIMONIALS. 


(From  the  Yankton  Dakotan,  lJ(J:').> 
Hon.  M.  K.  Armstrong  delivered  the  first  lecture  before  the  Dakota 
Historical  Association  on  Saturday  evening,  at  the  capitol  building,  on 
the  history  of  our  territory.  The  lecture  was  well  written  and  perfect  in 
detail,  evincing  careful  and  patient  research,  made  still  more  interesting 
by  the  traditions  of  the  wild  races  who  are  giving  way  before  the  march 
of  civilization.  The  accounts  of  early  explorers  and  adventurers  who 
visited  the  wilds  of  Dakota  from  motives  of  curiosity  or  gain  are  all  men- 
tioned in  their  proper  order,  up  to  the  time  when  the  emigrant  with  his 
family  entered  the  territory  and  planted  the  standard  of  civilization.  The 
lecture  in  itself  is  a  valuable  and  interesting  history,  not  only  of  Dakota, 
but  of  the  whole  Northwest  through  to  the  Pacific  ocean.  All  the  diffi- 
cult historical  work  of  the  territory  has  been  thoroughly  performed  by  the 
author,  and  subsequent  historians  have  only  to  build  on  this  broad  and 
safe  foundation. 

(From  the  Da.kota  Republican  in  1893.) 
Armstrong's  "Early  History  of  Dakota,"  in  1866,  was  timely  indeed. 
If  not  for  him  there  would  have  been  a  blank  space  in  the  narrative  of 
an  era  in  the  civil  existence  of  our  commonwealth,  before  records  began 
to  be  kept.  He  was  not  only  a  scholarly  but  a  conscientious  historian, 
and  his  surviving  contemporaries,  with  one  accord,  testify  to  his  accu- 
racy. 

(From  J.  M.  Currier  of  the  Library  Board,  Sioux  Cit>\  in  1804.) 
The  lecture  before  the  Lyceum  on  Monday  evening  last  was  deliv- 
ered by  Hon.  M.  K.  Armstrong,  secretary  of  the  Dakota  Historical  Asso- 
ciation. His  subject  was  "Early  Footprints  of  the  Northwest,"  and  the 
speaker's  well-known  reputation  as  a  writer  and  lecturer  called  together 
a  large  audience,  which  manifested  its  appreciation  of  his  able  and  inter- 
esting address  by  repeated  bursts  of  applause.  We  cannot  forbear  the 
remark  that  no  lecture  delivered  before  our  Lyceum  this  season  has  af- 
forded the  same  degree  of  satisfaction  to  the  listeners  as  did  that  of  Mr. 
Armstrong.  His  delivery  was  admirable,  and  the  language  in  which  many 
portions  of  the  subject  were  clothed  was  so  truly  beautiful  as  to  call  forth 
the  most  heartfelt  demonstrations  of  admiration. 


Vi  TESTIMONIALS. 

(Sioux  City  Reg-iister  in  1SG4.) 
We  publish  this  week  the  last  of  a  series  of  interesting  and  spicy 
sketches  of  the  pioneer  legislatures  of  Dakota.  They  are  from  the  felici- 
tous pen  of  Hon.  M.  K.  Armstrong,  whose  easy  style,  genuine  humor, 
keen  sarcasm  and  vivid  descriptions  have  won  general  admiration  for 
their  intrinsic  merit  of  style  and  diction. 

(From  Sioux  City  Journal.  lSli4.) 
It  has  seldom  been  our  fortune  to  listen  to  a  more  entertaining  and 
instructive  discourse  than  the  lecture  of  Hon.  jNI.  K.  Armstrong  before 
the  Lyceum,  on  the  "Early  Footprints  of  the  Northwest,"  last  Saturday 
evening.  The  lecture  was  well  arranged  and  finely  delivered,  and  adds 
another  to  the  laurels  already  won  by  the  author. 

(.From  General   Sully,    in  command   of   Indian  War,  1S64.) 
As  advisory  correspondent  during    the    Dakota    Indian    War,   the 
graphic  letters  and  frontier  experiences  of  M.    K.  Armstrong  were  of 
great  value  to  the  military  authorities  in  planning  their  marches  and  de- 
tailing troops  for  the  protection  of  the  pioneer  settlements. 

(From  American  Biography,  1S75.) 
The  historical  and  descriptive  writings  of  Moses  K.  Armstrong  are  a 
credit  to  American  literature.  His  admirable  pioneer  sketches  cover  a 
long  period  of  frontier  life,  dating  back  to  the  time  when  he  left  his 
native  college  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  and  turned  his  youthful  eye  to  the 
Great  West,  "with  no  fortune  to  guide  him  but  the  prayers  and  tears 
of  a  kind  mother  and  her  parting  words  of  hope  for  the  future."  He  ar- 
rived on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi  as  a  pioneer  land  surveyor,  with  his 
compass  on  his  back,  alone  and  friendless,  before  the  day  of  western  rail- 
roads. He  crossed  that  great  river,  and  traveled  on  foot  through  North- 
ern Iowa  and  Southern  Minnesota,  surveying  land  claims  for  early  set- 
tlers. From  here  he  afterwards  pushed  westward,  with  ox  team,  crossing 
Dakota  to  the  Missouri  river,  where  he  passed  several  years  in  the  Indian 
country,  staking  out  land  claims  for  the  venturesome  pioneers. 

He  has  passed  through  the  periods  of  pioneer  surveyor,  historian,  legis- 
lator, and  congressman,  and  has  stored  his  mind  with  useful  knowledge. 
He  is  a  man  who  is  an  honor  to  himself  and  a  credit  to  mankind. 

(From  the  St.  James  Gazertte,  1897.) 
The  travel  sketches  of  Hon.  M.  K.  Armstrong  during  his  southern 
vacations  which  have  from  time  to  time  appeared  in  the  Gazette,  have 
been  a  joy  to  our  readers,  and  have  created  quite  a  sensation,  and  caused 
much  pleasing  comment  among  our  literary  people.  His  sketches  are  told 
in  a  vein  of  quaint  originality,  brimming  over  with  scenic  word  painting, 
pathos  and  humor.  His  pen  pictures  of  persons  and  places  are  true  to 
life,  and  his  letters  have  been  anxiously  looked  for  each  week,  and  have 
furnished  our  readers  a  literary  treat  in  the  way  of  amusing  descriptions 
and  graphic  character  sketches. 


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CONTENTS. 


Page. 

Early  History  of  Dakota  Territory 1-43 

Indian  Traditions 2 

Early    Explorations 9 

The   Fur  Trade 22 

Early    Settlements 29 

Pioneer  Politics 32 

Naturae  Resources  oe  the  Northwest  Territories  as  Seex 

IN  1866 44-5t 

Early  Elections •  52-57 

Pioneer  Legislatures  and  Indian  Wars 59-153 

The  First  Legislature 61 

A  Lively  Session 65 

The  "Nigger  Bill" 66 

A  Legislative  Pen  Picture 69 

Early    Divorces 7i 

The  First  Railroad  Bill 76 

The  Beginning  of  the  Indian  Troubles 79 

A  Dual  Legislature . . .  ; 86 

Absentee   Officials ici 

The  Gold  Fever 105 

General  Sully's  Expedition 121 

Election  of  1863 128 

Politicians  and  Indians 130 

Session  of  1863 ^38 

Emigration    I44 

Pioneer    Contractors 146 

Interstate    Compliments 148 


Vlll  CONTENTb. 

PagE- 

Sketches  of  Travel  and  Early  Hardships 155-204. 

A  Journey  to  Sioux  Falls  and  the  Red  Pipestone  Region  in 

1864    157 

Journey  up  the  Missouri  by  Steamboat 161. 

Indian  Speech  by  Bone-Necklace 167 

Indian  Sun  Dance i6g 

Treating  with  the  Indians 171 

Early  Surveys  in  the  Red  River  of  the  North 174 

An  Early  Trip  to  Chicago 182 

A  Visit  to  the  Northern  Pine  Forests 186 

A  Journey  from  Yankton  to  St.  Paul 188 

Up  the  Mississippi  and  ever  Lake  Superior 191 

A  Trip  to  the  Empire  State 195 

Northern  Dakota  Revisited 199 

Sketches  of  Coxgress  axd  Western  Empire 205-358 

A  Tenderfoot  Congressman 210 

Congressional    Sketches 217 

Views  of  Washington  City 223. 

Dakota  Congressional  Con:  st 233 

A  Visit  to  the  Patent  Office 236 

Pen  Pictures  of  Prominent  Politicians 237 

A  Visit  to  Mount  Vernon 248 

The  Great  '"Liberal  Convention" 250 

Wit  and  Sarcasm  in  Congress 260 

Organization  of  the  Forty-third  Congress 263 

The  "Back-Pay  Grab" 265 

New  Year's  Day  in  Washington 273 

A  Colored  Orator 277 

A  "Reconstruction"  Contest  for  a  Seat  in  the  Sen  itc 285 

"Wash  Day  in  Congress" 295 

"Inflationists"   and   "Contractionists" 302 

Misfortunes  of  Public  Men 308 

"Money  to  Burn" 323 

A  "Live  King" 336 

The  "Pacific  Mail"  Fraud 338 

"Legislative  War"  in  Lotisiana 345 

"All-Night  Sessions" 354 


contents.  ix. 

Page. 

Speeches  in  Congress  on  Behalf  of  the  West 359-392 

On  Railroads  and  Land  Grants _. 361 

Three  Delegates  to  One  Seat 369 

Speech  on  the  Dakota  Indian  War 370 

Speech  on  Behalf  of  the  Great  West  for  Relief  of  Frontier 

Settlements    378 

Speech  in  Behalf  of  North  Dakota 385 

After  a  Q'uarter  of  a  Century;  Two  Capitals:  Washington 

AND  Richmond 393-416 

Washington   Revisited 395 

Counting  the  Presidential  Vote 399 

Visit  to  Southern  Battlefields 400 

Richmond  and  Its  Memories 404 

Inauguration  of  President  McKmley 409 

Historic  Scenes  of  Early  Empire 413 

Racv  Sketches  of  Southern  Life 417-446 

Louisville,  Ky.,  During  the  Goebel  Excitement.... 419 

Among  the  Spiritualists 421 

Bloodless    Duel 422 

Mammoth   Cave 423 

Across    Tennessee 424 

Coon  Hunting  in  the  South 426 

Typical  South  Carolina  Mountaineer 427 

Negro  Revival  Meeting 429 

Southern   Politics 431 

A  Distillery  Above  the  Clouds 435 

Columbia,  the  Capital  of  South  Carolina 436 

Historic  Old  Charleston 438 

Historic  Church  at  St.  Michaels 440 

A   Southern    "Eden" 443 

Homeward   Bound 446. 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Portrait  of  Moses  K.  Armstrong Frontispiece 

Illustra- 

Text.  tion. 

Minnesota's  New  State  Capitol vii 

Indian  Death  Song  and  Tragic  Scene — Over  the  Falls 19  17 

First  Steamboat  Among  the  Dakota  Indians 23  33 

Vermillion,  Dakota  Territory,  in  Pioneer  Days  of   1862 30  49 

A  Persuasive  Speech  in  a  Pioneer  Legislature  in    1862 52  65 

A  Great  Prairie  Fire  on  the  Western  Plains  54  81 

Pioneer  Election  and  Stu.mp  Speeches 56  97 

A  Pioneer  Legislature  Locating  the  Capital  in   1862 63  113 

Yankton,   Capital  of  Dakota  Territory,   in   1S61 68  129 

Stampede  of  Frightened  Office  Holders 81  145 

General  Sully's  Army  in  the  Dakota  Indian  War.... 121  i6r 

A  Battle  with  Indians  in  Dakota  in  1864 132  177 

General  Sibley's  Army  in  the  Dakota  Indian  War    145  193 

Exciting  Race  of  Army  Contractors 146  209 

Sioux  Falls,  Dakota,  in  1859 158  225 

Crow  Creek  Indian  Agency  in   1861 161  241 

Indian  Sun  Dance  in  Dakota  in  1866 170  257 

Soudiers  in  a  Dakota  Blizzard 176  273 

An  Oratorical  Battle  in  the  Senate 346  321 

Three  Congressmen  for  One  Chair 369  353 

A  Bloodless  Duel 422  401 

Xegro  Church  Revval  in  the  Old  Slave  States   429  433 


EARLY   HISTORY 


OF 


DAKOTA   TPIRRITORY. 


BY  MOSES  K.  AtlMSTRONG. 

[Eighteen  Hundred  and  Sixty-Six.] 

History  and  geography  have  been  termed  the  two  eyes 
of  knowledge. 

The  great  Territory  of  Dakota,  as  originally  organized, 
in  1861,  extended  from  Minnesota  on  the  east  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains  on  the  west,  and  from  Iowa  and  Nebraska  on  the 
south,  northw^ard  to  the  British  Dominion,  including  the 
present  Territory  of  Montana  and  a  large  portion  of  Idaho. 

In  writing  the  early  history  of  this  vast  region  of  ter- 
ritory, it  is  not  inappropriate  to  inquire  who  were  its  first 
discoverers  and  eariiest  inhabitants. 

In  doing  this,  we  are  obliged  to  rely,  in  a  measure,  upon 
the  vague  and  mysterious  traditions  of  the  various  tribes  of 
Indians  who  have  inhabited  this  wild  region  of  the  continent 
from  time  immemorial.  The  Indians  of  the  Northwest  have 
no  written  language — no  history;  and  their  only  record  of 
the  events  of  past  centuries,  through  all  their  migrations, 
wars  and  alliances  is  enclouded  in  a  long  series  of  signs, 
moons  and  traditions.  Even  their  knowledge  of  their  own 
creation  is  vague  and  uncertain.     Some  of  them  believe  that 


2  KARLY    HISTORY   OF  DAKOTA   TERRITORY. 

the  Great  Spirit  created  the  red  race  on  the  \ery  plains  that 
they  now  inhabit.  Other  tribes  have  a  sacred  belief  in  the 
tradition  that  their  ancestors  came  from  the  north,  across  a 
great  water,  to  the  region  of  their  present  himting-grounds ; 
-while  still  others  claim  that  the  red  men  came  out  of  the 
earth,  in  the  form  of  turtles  and  snails,  a  great  many  centuries 
ago,  and  were  transformed  by  the  Great  Spirit  into  human 
beings. 

The  red  pipestone  quarry,  about  thirty-five  miles  north- 
east from  Sioux  Falls  and  one  hundred  miles  from  Yankton, 
is  held  among  many  tribes  as  the  sacred  birthplace  of  all  the 
red  people  that  now  inhabit  the  earth.  The  following  are 
som.e  of  their  tradition?: 

TRADITION  OF  THE  SIOUX  OF  THE  PLAINS. 

''Before  the  creation  of  man  the  Great  Spirit  (whose  tracks 
are  yet  to  be  seen  on  the  stones,  at  the  red  pipe,  in  the  form 
of  the  tracks  of  a  large  bird)  used  to  slay  the  bufTaloes  and 
eat  them  on  the  ledge  of  the  red  rocks,  on  the  top  of  the 
Coteau  des  Prairies,  and  their  blood  running  onto  the  rocks, 
turned  them  red.  One  day,  when  a  large  snake  had  crawled 
into  the  nest  of  the  bird  to  eat  his  eggs,  one  of  the  eggs 
hatched  out  in  a  clap  of  thunder,  and  the  Great  Spirit  molded 
it  into  a  man.  This  man's  feet  grew  fast  in  the  ground, 
where  he  stood  for  many  ages,  like  a  great  tree,  and  there- 
fore he  grew  very  old.  He  was  older  than  an  hundred  men 
at  the  present  day,  and  at  last  another  tree  grew  up  by  the 
side  of  him,  when  a  large  snake  ate  them  both  off  at  the 
roots,  and  they  wandered  ofT  together.  From  these  have 
sprung  all  the  people  that  nozv  inhabit  the  earth." 

TRADITION  OF   UPPER  MISSOURI    INDIANS. 

"That  in  the  time  of  n  great  flood,  which  took  place 
many  centuries  ago.  and  destroyed  all  the  nations  of  the 
earth,  all  the  tribes  of  the  red  men  assembled  on  the  Coteau 
du  Prair'e.  to  get  out  of  the  way  of  the  waters.     After  they 


EARLY    HISTORY   OF  DAKOTA   TERRITORY.  3 

had  all  gathered  here  from  all  parts,  the  water  continued  to 
rise,  until  at  length  it  covered  them  all  in  a  mass,  and  their 
tiesh  was  converted  into  red  pipe  stone.  Therefore  it  has 
always  been  considered  neutral  ground — it  belonged  to  all 
tribes  alike,  and  all  were  allowed  to  get  it  and  smoke  it  to- 
gether. 

"While  they  were  all  drowning  in  a  mass,  a  young  woman, 
K-wap-tah-w  (a  virgin),  caught  hold  of  the  foot  of  a  very 
large  bird  that  was  flying  over,  and  was  carried  to  the  top  of 
a  high  cliff,  not  far  off,  that  was  above  the  water.  Here  she 
had  twins,  and  their  father  was  the  Avar-eagle,  and  her  chil- 
dren have  since  peopled  the  earth. 

"The  pipe  stone,  which  is  the  flesh  of  their  ancestors,  is 
smoked  by  them  as  a  symbol  of  peace,  and  the  eagle's  quill 
decorates  the  head  of  the  brave." 

TRADITION    (JI-    THK    MISSISSIPPI    RIVER    INDIANS. 

"Many  ages  after  the  red  men  were  made,  when  all  the 
different  tribes  were  at  war,  the  Great  Spirit  sent  runners  and 
called  them  all  together  at  the  red  pipe.  He  stood  on  the 
top  of  the  rocks,  and  the  red  people  were  assembled  in  in- 
finite numbers  on  the  plains  below.  He  took  out  of  the  rock 
a  piece  of  the  red  stone  and  made  a  large  pipe,  and  smoked 
it  over  them  all;  told  them  it  was  part  of  their  flesh;  that 
though  they  were  at  war,  they  must  meet  at  this  place  as 
friends ;  that  it  belonged  to  them  all ;  that  they  must  make 
their  calumets  from  it,  and  smoke  them  to  him  whenever  they 
wished  to  appease  him  or  get  his  good  will — the  smoke  from 
his  big  pipe  rolled  over  them  all,  and  he  disappeared  in  its 
cloud.  At  the  last  whiff  of  his  pipe  a  blaze  of  fire  rolled  over 
the  rocks,  and  melted  their  surface.  At  that  moment  two 
squaws  went  in  a  blaze  of  fire  under  the  two  medicine  rocks, 
where  they  remain  to  this  day,  and  must  be  consulted  and 
propitiated  whenever  the  pipe  stone  is  to  be  taken  away." 

TRADITION   OF   INDIANS  ON  THE   LOWER  MISSOURI. 

"Here  (according  to  their  traditions)  happened  the  mys- 
terious birth  of  the  red  pipe,  soon  after  the  creation  of  red 


4  EARLY    HISTORY   OF  DAKOTA   TERRITORY. 

men,  which  has  blown  its  fumes  of  peace  and  war  to  the 
remotest  comers  of  the  continent;  which  has  visited  every 
warrior,  and  passed  through  its  reddened  stem  the  irre- 
vocable oath  of  war  and  desolation.  And  here,  also,  the 
peace-breathing  calumet  was  born,  and  fringed  with  the 
eagle's  quills,  which  has  shed  its  thrilling  fumes  over  the  land, 
and  soothed  the  fury  of  the  relentless  savage. 

"The  Great  Spirit  at  an  ancient  period  here  called  the 
Indian  nations  together,  and.  standing  on  the  precipice  of 
the  red  pipe  stone  rock,  broke  from  its  wall  a  piece,  and 
made  a  huge  pipe  by  turning  it  in  his  hand,  \\  liich  he  smoked 
over  them,  and  to  the  north,  the  south,  the  east  and  the  west, 
and  told  them  that  this  stone  was  red ;  that  it  was  their  flesh ; 
that  they  must  use  it  lor  their  pipes  of  peace;  that  it  be- 
longed to  them  all,  and  that  the  war-club  and  scalping-knife 
must  not  be  raised  on  its  ground.  At  the  last  whilT  of  his 
pipe  his  head  went  into  a  great  cloud,  and  the  whole  surface 
of  the  rock  for  several  miles  was  melted  and  glazed.  Two 
great  o\ens  were  opened  beneath,  and  two  women  (guardian 
spirits  of  the  place)  entered  them  in  a  blaze  of  fire;  and  they 
are  heard  there  yet  (Tso-mec-cos-tee  and  Tso-me-cos-te- 
won-dee),  answering  to  the  invocations  of  the  high  priests  or 
medicine  men,  who  consult  them  when  they  are  visitors  to 
this  sacred  place." 

Near  this  spot.  also,  on  a  high  mound,  is  the  "Thunder's 
Nest."  (nid-dn-Tonnere)  where  "a  very  large  bird  sits  upon 
her  eggs  during  fair  weather,  and  the  skies  are  rent  with 
bolts  of  thunder  at  the  approach  of  a  storm,  which  is  occa- 
sioned by  the  hatching  of  her  brood." 

The  great  Osage  nation,  which  dwelt  upon  the  Lower 
Missouri  in  the  se\emeenth  century,  believed  in  a  tradition 
that  the  first  man  was  a  snail,  which  the  high  floods  swept 
out  on  to  the  dry  sands  of  the  Missouri,  where  the  sun 
warmed  it  into  a  man.  This  man  went  wandering  naked  on 
the  plain,  and  was  soon  overtaken  by  hunger  and  fatigue; 
when  happily  the  Great  Spirit  appeared,  and  gave  him  a  bow 


EAR1<\'    TTISTOK^■    OI'    DAKOTA    TERRITORY.  5 

and  arrow,  and  sliowcd  liini  how  to  kill  and  cook  deer,  and 
to  cover  himself  with  the  skin.  'Phe  Osag-e  then  became 
married  to  a  beaver,  from  which  stranc^e  wedlock  sprant^  all 
the  people  of  the  Wabasha  nation. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  a  close  analysis  of  all  these 
seeminglv  hollow  traditions  points  us  back  to  the  period  of 
Adam  and  Eve  and  the  days  of  the  flood,  by  which  it  is  pretty 
clearly  established  that  the  primitive  tribes  of  the  Northwest 
migrated  from  Eastern  Asia,  and  in  their  early  drifting,  like 
sea  foam,  across  the  northwestern  waters,  brought  with  them 
a  g^limmer  of  civilized  history,  which  long  since  vanished  into 
tradition,  on  the  chase  and  warpath  of  the  wilderness. 

The  earliest  historical  record  which  we  have  of  these  In- 
dians of  North  America  is  found  among  the  Icelandic  and 
Dahish  authorities,  wherein  it  is  claimed  that,  in  the  year 
986,  Eric  Rauda  emigrated  from  Iceland  to  Greenland,  and 
formed  a  settlement  of  Northmen.  No  mention  is  made,  how- 
ever, by  these  adventurous  Northmen  of  the  appearance  of  na- 
tives on  the  shores  of  North  America  until  T004.  when 
Thorwald,  the  son  of  Eric, — Earl  of  Norvvay,— while  sailing 
along  the  coast  between  Newfoundland  and  Greenland,  dis- 
covered three  canoes  upon  the  beach,  and  under  each  canoe 
three  (Esquimeaux)  called  by  the  Northmen  ''Skroelings." 
A  contest  ensued,  and  eight  of  the  nine  natives  were  killed. 
The  ninth  fled  into  the  background  of  the  bay,  and  soon 
returned  with  a  vast  number  of  his  people,  whereupon  the 
party  of  Northmen  retreated  to  their  vessels,  and  set  sail  to 
the  southward,  Thorwald  being  fatally  wounded  by  an  arrow. 
In  1005,  Thornstein.  the  brother  of  Thorwald,  set  sail  for 
the  new  found  land,  with  his  wife,  Gudrida.  the  first  white 
woman  known  in  history  as  having  \isited  the  shores  of 
.\merica.  and  who  three  years  after  her  arrival  gave  birth  to 
the  first  child  of  European  descent  born  in  the  New  World. 

In  1007,  Tornfim,  a  wealthy  personage,  descended  from 
Danish  and  Scottish  ancestors,  arrived  off  the  coast  of  New 
England  (near  Mount   Hope  Bay),  with  two  ships  and   140 


6  EARLY    HISTORY   OF  DAKOTA   TERRITORY. 

men  and  women.  Here  they  discovered  fields  covered  w^ith 
wheat  gro\\ang  wild,  and  they  were  visited  by  great  numbers 
of  the  natives  in  canoes,  who  were  described  as  a  sallow- 
colored,  ill-looking  r^ce  of  people,  with  long  hair,  large  eyes 
and  broad  cheeks.  In  loii  a  quarrel  was  incited  by  Fry- 
desia.  daughter  of  Eric,  which  proved  fatal  to  a  large  number 
of  the  colonists.  From  this  period  the  Northmen  appear  to 
have  become  estranged  and  lawless,  and  amalgamated  with 
the  wild  natives  of  the  co^ntr^^  In  1026,  Giidlief,  an  Ice- 
landic navigator,  Avho  was  driven  upon  this  unknown  shore, 
was  seized,  with  his  crew,  by  the  natives,  and  carried  into  the 
interior,  where  they  were  accosted  by  a  venerable  chief  speak- 
ing their  own  language,  who  inquired  after  certain  individ- 
uals in  Norway. 

The  natives  were  described  at  that  date  as  of  a  red  color, 
and  ver}'-  cruel  to  strangers. 

From  this  period  we  hear  no  more  of  this  northern  col- 
ony until  1059,  when  a  Saxon  priest,  named  Jon,  who  was 
sent  out  as  a  missionar}'  to  the  colonists,  arrived  and  was 
murdered  by  the  heathens. 

In  1121  the  Bishop  of  Greenland  undertook  the  same 
voyage  for  the  same  purpose,  but  both  his  success  and  fate 
are  undetermined  by  histor}'.  From  this  period  until  the 
discovery  of  America  by  Columbus,  in  1492,  there  is  no  his- 
torical mention  of  the  early  colonists  or  natives  of  North 
America. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  fourteenth  century,  according  to 
numerous  and  accredited  authorities.  Prince  Madoc,  or  Ma- 
dawe,  from  North  Wales,  set  sail  with  ten  ships  and  a  large 
colony  of  his  countrymen,  who  are  supposed  to  have  landed 
somewhere  on  the  coast  of  North  America.  None  of  the 
colonists  have  ever  returned  to  their  own  country.  The  best 
authorities  have  been  only  able  to  trace  them  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Mississippi  river;  but  according  to  the  history  and 
poetry  of  their  own  countrj^  this  colony  settled  somewhere 
in  the  interior  of  North  America,  where  they  are  yet  remain- 
ing, intermingled  with  the  savage  tribes. 


EARIA'   HISTORY   OF   DAKOTA   TERRITORY".  7 

Catlin,  the  artist,  who  ascended  the  Missouri  river  thirty- 
two  3'ears  ago  (1833),  holds  that  he  traced  the  journeyings 
and  ancient  fortifications  of  this  colony  from  the  River  Ohio 
to  the  old  Mandan  village  in  Dakota  Territory. 

This  traveler  also  suggests  the  belief  that  the  Mandan 
tribe  of  Indians  are  the  descendants  of  Prince  Madawe's  col- 
ony, and  supports  the  theory  by  giving  a  long  list  of  similar 
v^^ords  used  in  both  the  ^^''e^sh  and  Mandan  languages,  as  well 
also  as  the  many  civilized  customs,  and  works  of  hand  found 
to  exist  among  the  Mandans.  He  says:  "Scarcely  a  day 
in  the  summer  when  a  visitor  to  their  villages  would  not  see 
the  women  at  worlc  with  their  hands  and  fingers,  molding 
clay  into  wares,  cups,  pitchers  and  pots,  and  baking  them  in 
their  httle  kilns,  under  the  sides  of  the  river  banks." 

He  also  mentions  the  fact  of  their  having  a  secret  art  of 
manufacturing  a  beautiful  kind  of  blue  glass  beads,  which 
curiosity  was  mentioned  by  Lewis  and  Clark,  sixty  years  ago, 
"at  a  time  when  no  traders  or  other  white  people  had  been 
among  the  Mandans,  to  have  taught  them  so  curious  an 
art."  Catlin  infers  that  the  Mandans  must  have  warred  their 
way  against  the  Sioux  to  their  present  location  on  the  Mis- 
souri river. 

The  first  mention  we  have  of  the  Dakota  family  of  Indians 
is  by  Nicollet,  a  public  man,  who  had  been  sent  out  by  the 
government  at  Quebec,  to  treat  with  certain  tribes  of  the 
Western  Indians,  as  early  as  1639,  the  same  year  that  the 
settlers  of  New  Haven  formed  themselves  into  a  body  politic. 
This  adventurous  man  visited  a  tribe  called  Ounipegon  (Win- 
nebago) signifying  "a  people  who  came  from  a  distant  sea." 

Two  years  elapsed,  and  in  1641,  Jogues  and  Raymbault, 
of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  after  a  voyage  of  seventeen  days  over 
tempestuous  waves,  arrived  among  the  O  jib  ways  of  Lake 
Superior,  by  whom  they  were  mformed  that  eighteen  days' 
journey  to  the  west  of  them,  lived  a  powerful  nation  known 
as  the  "Nadouechiouch,"  "Nadsuessiouex,"  (meaning  '"En- 
emy"),  but    subsequently  designated    by  the  abbreviation. 


8  liARLY    HISTORY   OF  DAKOTA   TKRRITORY. 

"Scioux."  or  "Sioux."  and  now  correctly  called  Dakotas, 
meaning-  the  "Friendly  Nations,"  in  consequence  of  alliances 
formed  among  them  at  a  late  period,  after  the  long  and 
bloody  wars  with  the  Algonquins. 

In  the  year  of  1654  two  young  Canadian  traders,  engaged 
in  the  fur  busness.  accompanied  a  party  of  Indians  to  the 
far-ofT  prairies  of  the  West,  and  were  probably  the  first  white 
men  who  entered  the  present  Territory  of  Dakota. 

In  1659  the  traders  revisited  the  land  of  the  Dakotas  to 
trade  with  the  natives,  and  such  was  their  success  that  in  the 
year  1660  they  returned  to  Quebec,  with  sixty  canoes, 
manned  by  Indians,  and  laden  with  beaver,  fox  and  buffalo 
robes.  The  following  is  the  Ojibway's  tradition  of  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  two  first  white  men  in  the  Dakota  country : 

"A  party  of  Indians  who  were  spearing  fish  through  the 
holes  in  the  ice,  discovered  a  smoke  arising  from  the  eastern 
extremity  of  an  island  which  was  then  seldom  visited.  Pro- 
ceeding in  that  direction  they  found,  in  a  rough  cabin,  two 
white  men.  in  the  last  stag-e  of  starvation.  Crossing  the 
lake  late  in  the  fall,  they  had  been  driven  by  the  ice  onto  the 
island,  and  not  knowing-  that  any  human  beings  were  near, 
they  had  almost  perished." 

During  Hennepin's  first  voyag-e  up  the  Mississippi  in 
canoes,  in  1680,  he  was  visited  by  "four  savages  who  said 
they  were  come  alone  fifteen  hundred  miles  from  the  west, 
and  had  been  four  months  on  the  way."  Hennepin  was  fur- 
ther informed  by  these  Indians  that  the  country  through 
which  they  passed  had  no  large  lakes,  and  but  verv  few  for- 
ests, and  that  all  the  rivers  came  down  from  the  north.  On 
this  information  the  explorer  says:  "I  may  yet  be  transport- 
ed into  the  Pacific  sea  by  rivers  which  are  capable  of  carrving 
great  ves.sels,  and  from  thence  it  is  very  easy  to  go  to  China 
and  Jajian.  without  crossing  the  equinoctial  line,  and  in  all 
probahUity  Japan  is  on  the  same  conlincnf  as  .America." 

Hence,  we  perceive  llial  all  the  earliest  traditions  and 
authorities  point  to  the  nt)rth  and  west  as  the  \erge  of  con- 


EARI,^■    HISTORY    Oli"   DAKOTA   TKRRITORY.  9 

tinent  upon  which  first  appeared  the  North  American  In- 
dians. Tt  is  only  fair  to  presume  that  the  natives  of  the 
eastern  empires  of  Asia,  coasting-  alonq-  the  shores  of  China, 
Japan,  and  Tartary,  should  point  their  light  boats  across  the 
narrow  span  of  Behring-  Strait,  which  connects  Asia  and 
America  by  a  neck  of  water  less  than  forty  miles  in  width. 
Even  the  customs,  habits,  features  and  language  of  many  of 
the  North  American  tribes  go  far  toward  ])roving  the  fact 
of  their  having  wandered  across  the  seas  from  their  primitive 
stock  on  the  coast  of  Asia.  The  Rocky,  or  "Shining,"  Moun- 
tains, of  the  west  were  in  all  probability  peopled  before  the 
Alleghanics  of  the  east. 

EARLY    EXPLORATIONS. 

De  Soto,  in  1541,  is  the  first  white  man  kno\\'n  in  history 
as  having  discovered  the  great  river  Mississippi.  Tt  was 
aga'n  visited  by  Marquette  and  Joliet  in  1673,  who  entered 
it  by  way  of  the  Wisconsin,  and  in  1680  Hennepin  ascended 
the  same  river  in  canoes  to  a  point  above  the  present  city  of 
St.  Paul,  where  he  discovered  and  named  the  St.  Peter  river 
and  Falls  of  St.  Anthony.  .  The  mouth  of  the  River  Missis- 
sippi was  discovered  by  I^a  Salle  in  1683,  who  came  ox^er  the 
Great  Lakes  from  Canada,  descended  the  Illinois  to  the  Mis- 
sissippi, and  thence  floated  in  small  row-boats  to  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico. 

While  these  early  footprints  of  civilization  were  being 
traced  in  the  great  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  the  Spanish 
navigator,  Viscaino,  in  1602,  visited  the  northwest  shore  of 
the  continent,  and  had  ascended  as  far  north  as  the  fortv-third 
parallel,  by  virtue  of  which  discovery  Spain  laid  claim  to  all 
the  country  between  the  Mississippi  and  the  Pacific. 

Spanish  authorities  claimed  that,  long  before  the  discov- 
ery of  the  Mississippi  river  or  Rocky  Mountains  by  other 
nat'ons,  vessels  from  Spain  had  \-isited  the  Pacific  shore  of 
America,  and  had  pushed  as  far  north  as  the  then  unknown 
river  in   Oregon,  which,,  from  the  belief  that   there  was  no 


lO  EARLY    HISTORY   OF  DAKOTA  TERRITORY. 

large  river  in  that  latitude,  was  put  down  as  "Deception  Bay." 
In  1792  the  American  ship  Columbia,  commanded  by  Capt. 
Gray,  entered  a  great  opening  in  the  northwest  coast,  and 
ten  miles  from  the  sea  the  crew  filled  their  casks  with  fresh 
water,  when  for  the  first  time  this  early  navigator  was  con- 
vinced that  he  was  in  the  channel  of  a  great  river,  which  he 
named  from  his  ship,  Columbia.  The  whole  northwest  coun- 
try was  then  known  as  Louisiana  Territory^,  and  extended  an 
"indefinite  distance  to  the  northward." 

With  regard  to  the  Indian  tribes  that  inhabited  this  vast 
region  of  the  continent  at  that  time,  it  is  claimed  by  Shea. 
Schoolcraft  and  others  that  the  great  race  of  Sioux,  together 
with  the  Hurons.  Iroquois.  Winnebagoes,  Wyandots.  Illinois. 
Sacs  and  Foxes,  roamed  and  warred  in  all  the  country  from 
the  Ohio  river  northward  to  the  Lakes,  and  westward  to  the 
Mississippi. 

It  is  claimed  by  other  writers  and  travelers  that  these 
tribes  are  all  families  of  the  great  Dakota  nation,  and  that 
these  Indians  were  monarchs  of  the  region  of  countn-  sur- 
rounding the  great  Lakes  of  the  North,  between  the  rivers 
Ohio  and  Mississippi,  while  the  whole  Algonquin  race,  which 
roamed  the  Atlantic  coast,  were  at  Avar  with  the  nation  of 
Dakotas.  In  the  year  1695  Le  Sueur  found  the  Dakotas  on 
the  Upper  Mississippi  tributaries,  and  Jonathan  Carver,  who 
visited  the  Sioux  in  their  northern  home  in  1766,  says  the 
Dakotas  had  a  tradition  that  their  ancestors  came  to  this 
country  from  the  north,  across  a  great  water,  being  driven 
in  war  from  their  native  land.  From  this  tradition  he  infers 
that  the  Dakotas  were  once  inhabitants  of  China  and  Tartary, 
till,  distressed  and  vanquished  in  the  Asiatic  wars,  they 
sought  refuge  upon  the  islands  of  the  north  sea,  and  from 
thence  voyaged  in  rude  boats  to  the  land  of  America.  This 
theon'  in  the  origin  of  races,  he  affirms,  is  rendered  plausible 
by  the  striking  similarity  in  the  languages  of  the  two  people. 

The  period  of  this  transmigration  from  the  north  is  said 
to  have  been  a  great  many  generations  aero,  at  least  before 
the  discoveries  of  Columbus. 


EARLY   HISTORY   OF  DAKOTA   TERRITORY.  I  I 

Nearly  two  centuries  had  passed  when  the  long  and 
bloody  war  between  the  Algonquin  and  Dakota  races  was 
brought  to  a  successful  termination  by  the  introduction  into 
the  Algonquin  army,  of  firearms,  steel  arrows  and  battle  axes, 
by  Canadian  traders.  Before  these  new  implements  of  death 
the  flint-headed  arrows  and  wooden  war-clubs  of  the  Dakotas 
proved  to  be  ineffectual,  and  the  great  nation,  defeated  and 
pursued,  struck  their  tents  and  council  fires,  and  f\ed  to  the 
regions  of  the  setting  sun. 

Concerning  the  tribes  that  inhabited  Dakota  prior  to  that 
bloody  era,  nothing  is  definitely  known.  Tradition  says  that 
the  Sheyennes  ("Shiens,"  or  "Dog  Indians")  were  once  a 
powerful  nation,  and  were  the  first  race  of  people  who  mi- 
grated to  the  Missouri  valley;  that,  after  having  been  re- 
peatedly driven  dpwn  from  the  regions  of  the  north,  they 
located  on  a  western  tributarv^  of  the  Red  river,  where  the 
blood  poured  out  in  battle  against  their  invading  foes,  ming- 
ling with  the  waters  of  a  northern  stream,  changed  its  hue, 
and  gave  it  the  name  of  the  "Blood-Colored,"  or  "Red"  River 
of  the  North.  Again  they  were  defeated,  and  again  they 
struck  their  tents  and  fled  with  the  bleeding  remnants  of  their 
tribe  across  the  northern  plains  of  Dakota,  and  formed  a 
new  home  on  a  stream  that  enters  the  Missouri  from  the  west, 
which  they  called  the  Sheyenne. 

With  regard  to  the  primitive  tribes  of  southern  Dakota. 
Charlevoix  relates  that  nearly  two  centuries  ago  the  Towas. 
Omahas  and  Otoes  were  in  possession  of  this  portion  of  our 
territory,  and  roamed  and  warred  through  the  regions  wa- 
tered by  the  Des  Moines.  Big  Sioux  and  James,  and  that 
these  tribes  annually  asssembled  in  peace  around  their  sacred 
council  fires  at  the  Great  Red  Pipestone  Quarry. 

From  here  they  were  afterwards  driven  south  and  west 
by  the  great  nation  of  Dakotas  moving  down  from  the  north 
like  a  mighty  army,  and  covering  the  whole  plain  with  their 
tents  and  war  dances. 

The  period  of  this  great  retrocession  of  Indian  nations, 
Hennepin  informs  us,  was  some  time  before  the  seventeenth 


12  EARLY    HISTORY   OF  DAKOTA  TKRRITORY. 

century,  or  over  two  hundred  years  ago.  Up  to  that  era  the 
Dakotas  had  remained  as  one  nation,  governed  by  one 
tongue,  and  were  called  the  "Nadoaessioux"  (meaning  "En- 
emy"), from  the  latter  termination  of  which  word  is  derived 
the  abbreviation,  "Sioux."  But  during  the  great  war  and 
flight  from  the  north  they  had  become  disbanded,  scattered 
into  separate  war  parties,  and  in  order  to  be  distinguished 
from  other  tribes  of  the  plain,  they  now  call  themselves  "Da- 
kota?." meaning  the  "Friend  Bom."  or.  ''Friendly  People." 

Since  that  period  both  history  and  tradition  agree  in  plac- 
ing the  Dakotas  as  sovereigns  of  the  vast  region  of  country 
between  the  Mississippi  and  the  mountains. 

James,  in  his  history-  of  Long's  expedition,  says  it  is  un- 
known how  long  the  Omahas  have  resided  on  the  Missouri 
river.  Burgmont.  in  1724.  makes  no  mention  of  these  In- 
dians being  found  in  the  Missouri  valley.  It  would  seem  that 
they  had  separated  from  the  great  migrating  nation  on  or 
near  the  Mississippi  riv-er,  and  had  since  passed  slowly  across 
the  country  until  they  struck  the  Missouri,  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Big  Sioux  river.  Carver  found  them,  in  1766,  on  the 
St.  Peter's  river,  associated  with  the  Sheyennes.  During  the 
journeyings  of  the  great  Dakota  nation,  another  band  sepa- 
rated from  them,  and  received  the  name  of  Pa-he-jo  TGrey 
Snow,  or  loway)  Indians;  and  still  another  tribe  withdrew 
under  the  head  of  Otoes.  or  "Wife  Stealers,"  because  in 
departing  they  had  carried  off  a  large  number  of  Dakota 
women.  This  tribe,  with  the  loways,  journeyed  to  the  Mis- 
souri, and  built  their  ancient  villages  near  old  Council  Bluff. 
They  afterwards  separated,  and  the  loways  went  back  to  the 
Des  Moines  river.  The  Winnebagoes.  or  "Fish  Eaters," 
broke  off  from  the  parent  tribe,  and  settled  on  the  margin  of 
a  lake  east  of  the  Mississippi,  from  whence  they  passed  slowly 
down  the  Wisconsin  river  to  old  Prairie  du  Chien.  This  tribe 
has  since  been  removed,  by  successive  treaties,  to  their  pres- 
ent location  in  Nebraska. 

The  great  Omaha  nation  erected  their  ancient  village  oi 
three  lnin(lrc(l  Imf^  f)ii  a  small  stream  known  as  Maha  Creek, 


EART.V    ITrSTORV    Ol^   DAKOTA    TTvRRTTORV.  13 

a  few  miles  below  Sionx  City,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
riv^er.  Here  they  were  visited  by  the  ravages  of  the  small- 
pox, in  the  early  part  of  the  present  century,  which  destroyed 
over  six  hundred  men,  women  and  children.  The}^  had  been 
a  military  and  powerful  people,  but  when  their  warriors  saw 
their  strength  wasting  away  before  a  malady  they  could  not 
resist,  they  became  like  madmen.  They  burned  their  village, 
and  some  of  them  shot  their  wives  and  children,  and  others 
leaped  into  the  deej)  channel  of  the  Missouri  to  cool  the  burn- 
ing disease  and  Hoat  to  some  better  land.  In  their  frantic 
flight  it  is  said  that  a  band  of  Poncas  withdrew,  and  settled 
in  the  country  about  the  Running  Water. 

The  Yanktons,  at  this  early  day,  were  dwellers  in  the  re- 
gion lying  between  the  Big  Sioux  and  the  James,  and  were 
kno/wn  as  the  "tribe  that  lives  at  the  end,"  and  is  believed 
to  have  been  the  frontier  band  of  the  great  Dakota  nation. 
All  the  tribes  to  the  northwest  of  them  were  called  "Those 
who  came  over  the  mountains  from  the  sea." 

Spain  still  contended  for  all  the  territory  between  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  the  mountains,  by  virtue  of  early  discovery  from 
the  west.  The  country  was  still  called  Louisiana  Territory, 
and  extended  an  indefinite  distance  to  the  north.  French 
traders,  however,  soon  entered  the  country,  and  held  it  by 
right  of  possession.  In  1762  France  ceded  the  whole  terri- 
tory to  Spain,  and  in  1800  Spain  retroceded  the  same  country 
to  France,  by  which  government  it  was,  in  1803,  transferred 
to  the  United  States  for  $15,000,000. 

At  that  early  day  the  whole  Northwest  Territory  did  not 
contain  1,000  white  inhabitants,  and  the  only  footprints  of 
civilization  from  the  lakes  to  the  mountains,  were  the  few 
small  trading  posts  at  points  where  now  stand,  among  others, 
the  cities  of  Detroit,  Milwaukee,  Chicago,  and  Astoria  on  the 
Pacific  coast.  St.  Louis  was  a  promising  frontier  village, 
and  the  early  navigators  of  the  Missouri  river,  in  1803,  make 
mention  of  a  settlement  of  poor  families,  a  few  miles  above 
the  mouth  of  the  river,  which  was  the  only  establishment  of 


14  EARLY    HISTORY   OF  DAKOTA  TERRITORY. 

white  people  in  the  Missouri  valley.  Prior  to  this,  in  1787, 
the  "Territory  Northwest  of  the  River  Ohio,"  lying  east  of 
the  Mississippi,  was,  by  act  of  congress,  framed  into  a  sepa- 
rate territory,  w^hich,  in  1800,  was  divided  into  the  territories 
of  Indiana  and  Illinois,  and  in  1805  the  Territory  of  Michi- 
gan was  established,  with  Detroit  as  the  seat  of  government. 
Soon  after  the  purchase  of  Louisiana  from  France,  in  1803, 
that  great  territory  w'est  of  the  Missouri  was  divided,  and  all 
south  of  thirty-nine  degrees  called  the  "Territory  of  New 
Orleans." 

EARLY    EXPEDITIONS. 

During  the  administration  of  Jefferson,  in  1804- 1805,  the 
president  and  congress  empowered  a  party  of  explorers  to 
cross  the  continent  by  way  of  the  ^Missouri  river  and  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  and  report  to  the  government  the  result 
of  their  discoveries  and  research. 

Captain  Merriweather  Lewis  w^as  selected  to  lead  this 
little  band  of  forty-two  men  through  3,000  miles  of  wilder- 
ness, swarming  with  powerful  tribes  of  defiant  Indians.  They 
started  from  St.  Louis,  in  open  sail-boats,  on  the  14th  of  May, 
1804,  and  on  the  21st  of  August  they  reached  the  Big  Sioux 
river,  and  their  journal  affords  to  the  world  the  earliest  writ- 
ten history  of  this  great  valley  of  the  Northw^est.  Alany 
curiosities  and  superstitions  are  mentioned  as  having  existed 
among  the  Indians  of  this  country  at  that  early  day. 

The  first  object  of  superstition  which  excited  their  curi- 
osity in  this  portion  of  our  territory  was  "Spirit  Hill,"  in  Clay 
county,  about  nine  miles  northw'est  of  the  present  town  of 
Vermillion,  and  was  pointed  out  to  them  by  the  Yankton 
Indians,  who  then  inhabited  this  country.  The  party  were 
entreated  by  the  Indians  to  land  their  boats  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Vennillion  river,  and  go  with  them  to  witness  the  abode 
of  little  spirits.  They  set  out  on  foot,  and  the  heat  of  the 
day  being  oppressive,  it  was  not  until  after  four  hours'  travel 
that  they  reached  the  o1)ject  of  wonder,  which  consisted  of  a 


EARLY    HISTORY   OF  DAKOTA  TERRITORY.  I  5 

steep,  high  hill,  standing  alone  in  the  middle  of  a  smooth, 
level  prairie. 

Captain  Lewis  then  proceeded  to  make  careful  measure- 
ment of  its  height,  length,  breadth,  base  and  apex,  and  finally 
declared  it  to  be  nothing  more  than  a  natural  but  remarkable 
mound,  whose  lone  blue  outlines  can  be  seen  at  a  distance 
of  thirt)^  miles  to  the  north. 

The  journal  states  that  it  had  long  remained  an  object  of 
dread  among  all  the  surrounding  tribes,  who  believed  it  to 
be  the  abode  of  little  devils  in  human  form,  of  about  eighteen 
inches  in  height,  and  having  remarkably  large  heads.  The 
tradition  is.  that  three  Maha  boys  once  fell,  impaled  by  the 
arrows  of  these  little  spirits,  while  attempting  to  climb  the  hill 
and  survey  the  distant  prairie  in  search  of  the  Yanktons' 
council  fires.  This  incident  had  inspired  all  the  roving  bands 
with  such  terror  that  no  inducement  could  tempt  them  to 
visit  the  mysterious  hill. 

On  the  morning  of  the  26th  the  party  rejoined  their  boats, 
and  on  the  following  day  passed  the  mouth  of  the  Yankton 
(or  James)  river,  near  which  an  Indian  swam  to  the  boat,  and 
informed  them  that  a  large  body  of  Sioux  were  encamped  in 
their  immediate  vicinity.  Three  men,  with  an  interpreter, 
M.  Durion,  were  dispatched  to  the  Sioux  camp,  while  the 
boats  proceeded  on  about  eleven  miles,  where,  on  a  beautiful 
plain,  near  Calumet  Bluff,  (above  Yankton)  the  party  en- 
camped, and  waited  the  arrival  of  the  Sioux.  Here  they  pre- 
pared a  speech  and  some  presents,  and  at  twelve  o'clock  the 
chiefs  and  warriors  of  the  Yanktons  arrived,  and  were  re- 
ceived in  council  under  a  large  oak  tree,  near  to  which  the 
American  flag  was  flying.  This  was  near  three  score  years 
ago,  when  the  little  band  of  American  adventurers  first  flung 
to  the  breeze  of  an  unknown  wild  the  star-spangled  banner 
of  their  country,  on  the  spot  where  now  stands  the  capital  of 
our  young  and  thriving  territory. 

Here  brave  warriors  assembled  to  recount  their  deeds  of 
valor  and  smoke  their  pipes  of  peace ;   here  the  maids  of  the 


i6  Early  history  of  Dakota  territory, 

prairie  danced  upon  our  village  green,  and  told  their  vows 
of  love;  here  their  graves  are  found  in  tree-toi)s  and  plain, 
warrior  and  maiden,  the  crumbling  tombstones  of  a  (le])artc(l 
peop'e :  here  was  found  the  father  of  the  present  chief  of  the 
Yanktons. — Strike-the-Ree, — and  although  a  young  man,  he 
delivered  a  sensible  speech  in  the  council  with  Lewis  and 
Clark  :  here,  too.  is  found  the  grave  of  the  old  Canadian, 
Durion,  upon  the  crumbling  scaffold  on  the  little  hillock,  at 
the  foot  of  Majile  street,  where  he  died  and  was  laid  to  rest 
by  the  Indians  near  a  half  century  ago, — 

There  has  lie  slumbered  on  his  scaffold  tomb, 
Throiif^h  fifty  years  of  stonii  and  su.nmer  moon; 
There  let  him  rest,  for  first  was  he  to  die. 
Of  all  the  white  race,  'neath  Dakota's  sky. 

These  early  na\'igators  of  the  Mississippi  were  here  de- 
lighted with  the  country,  and  here,  for  the  first  time  in  their 
voyage,  nature  seems  to  have  burst  in  romantic  beauty  on 
their  view,  and  they  ascended  the  shores  and  encamped  at 
sunset  on  the  verge  of  the  vast  luxuriant  plains  where 
roamed,  unscared,  the  prowling  w'olf,  the  screaming"  wild- 
fowl and  dauntless  red  man,  and  as  the  burnished  sun  sank 
serenely  in  the  distant  west,  it  seemed  to  be  leading  the  glow- 
ing pathway  to  future  empire.  Here  the  little  party  stretched 
their  wearied  limbs  upon  the  earth  for  a  night's  rest,  and  were 
quietly  lulled  to  sleep  by  the  musical  roar  of  untrammeled 
rivers  and  the  harmless  song  of  the  native  wdv  dance;  and 
when  the  morning  sunlight  flooded  the  great  landscape,  glit- 
tering with  dews  and  flowers,  and  shining  plains  and  majestic 
rivers,  they  went  on  their  way  rejoicing  that  this,  too.  was  a 
jx'irt  of  their  own  free  country. 

Cjn  the  first  day  of  September  they  arrived  at  Uonhomme 
Island,  and  gave  the  day  to  examining  an  old  fortification  on 
the  south  side  of  the  river,  which  they  believed  to  be  the 
work  of  an  ancient  anrl  warlike  people.  They  proceeded  to 
make  a  careful  measurement  of  the  ground  work  of  the  fort, 


THF,  INDIAN  DEATH  SONG  AND  TRAGIC  SCEXE- 
OVfiR  THE  FALLS.— p.   19. 


EARLY    HISTORY    OF   DAKOTA  TERRITORY.  1 7 

and  noted  the  bearings,  distances  and  dimensions  of  the  an- 
gles, walls  and  gates.  Opposite  the  fortification,  and  located 
upon  the  island,  they  discovered  what  they  pronounced  a 
citadel,  presenting  a  circular  form  and  inclosed  by  a  wall 
about  six  feet  in  height.  After  having  completed  their  re- 
connoissance  of  the  work,  the  journal  adds :  "These  are  the 
first  remains  of  the  kind  we  have  had  an  o])portunity  of  ex- 
amining, but  our  interpreter  assures  us  that  ihere  are  great 
numbers  of  them  on  the  Platte  and  James  rivers." 

None  of  these  ancient  fortifications  are  now  known  to 
exist  in  this  country.  On  the  2d  of  September  they  ])assed 
on  and  encamped  at  the  foot  of  Sugar  Loaf  Hill,  opposite  the 
Yankton  Agency,  and  on  the  following  day  they  visited  the 
well  known  village  of  prairie  dogs,  near  Fort  Randalk 

This  little  cur  was  an  object  of  great  curiosity  to  them,  and 
they  finally  succeeded  in  capturing  one  by  pouring  five  gal- 
lons of  water  into  his  burrow  and  drowning  him  out,  together 
with  two  frogs,  a  lizard  and  a  dark  rattlesnake  which  had 
swallowed  a  young  prairie  dog.  After  making  this  strange 
acquaintance,  they  passed  on  to  a  point  below  Cedar  Island, 
where,  on  a  hill  to  the  south  of  the  river,  they  discovered  the 
backbone  of  a  great  fish,  forty-five  feet  long,  and  in  a  perfect 
state  of  petrifaction,  fragments  of  which  were  collected  and 
sent  to  Washington. 

On  the  20th  they  reached  the  great  bend  of  the  Missouri 
river,  and  encamped  for  the  night  on  a  sand-bar;  but  shortly 
after  midnight  were  startled  by  the  sergeant  on  guard  crying- 
out  that  the  bar  was  sinking,  and  scarcely  had  they  pushed 
off  in  their  boats,  when  the  ground  on  which  they  had  been 
sleeping  sank  beneath  the  water.  Resuming  their  journey 
on  the  next  day,  a  man  was  sent  to  step  off  the  distance  across 
the  head  of  the  bend,  who  made  it  but  one  mile  and  a  quarter, 
whereas  the  boats  were  obliged  to  traverse  a  distance  of  thirty 
miles.  On  the  22d  they  passed  the  Cedar  Islands,  known  as 
the  Three  vSisters,  on  one  of  which  they  discovered  the'  re- 
mains of  an  old  Spanish  trading  post,  built  by  Mr.  Loisal, 


1 8  EARLY    HISTORY   OF  DAKOTA   TERRITORY. 

« 

some  years  before,  to  trade  with  the  Sioux.  Passing  the 
present  site  of  Fort  Pierre,  they  arrived,  on  the  28th  Octo- 
ber, at  the  old  Mandan  villages,  and  proceeded  to  the  erec- 
tion of  huts  and  fortifications  for  their  winter  quarters. 

In  these  they  passed  the  long  and  snowy  months  of  1805, 
shut  up  in  the  midst  of  an  unknown  wild,  and  removed  a 
thousand  miles  from  civilization ;  and  when  Christmas  and 
New  Year's  came  they  assembled  around  a  festive  board, 
spread  with  dishes  of  wild  game,  which,  in  the  morning,  had 
been  scaling  the  plain  and  singing  in  the  forest. 

On  the  /th  of  April,  they  bade  adieu  to  their  winter  home, 
and  set  out  to  continue  their  long  and  devious  way  moun- 
tainward,  and  on  the  13th  of  June  they  discovered  the  Great 
Falls  of  the  Missouri,  near  the  western  boundary  of  the  orig- 
inally organized  Territory  of  Dakota.  The  sound  of  the  falls 
was  heard  at  a  distance  of  seven  miles,  coming  from  the  di- 
rection of  a  rising  column  of  mist  and  spray,  ascending  high 
into  the  air  like  a  cloud  of  smoke.  Toward  this  object  they 
eagerly  hurried  on,  and  soon  arrived  at  the  foot  of  the  great 
cataract,  reaching  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile  across  the  river,  and 
falling  in  one  broad  unbroken  sheet  of  water  down  a  precipice 
of  thirty  feet.  Here  they  hastily  ascended  the  bank  and 
stood,  the  first  navigators  in  those  waters,  entranced  with  the 
music  of  the  foaming  cataract,  which  for  ages  had  been  lav- 
ishing its  beauties  upon  the  desert  and  rolling  its  thunders 
through  mountain  and  plain. 

There  hung  the  old  eagle's  nest  on  a  tree  at  the  foot  of 
the  falls,  shrouded  in  the  mists  of  time,  where  it  had  stood  as 
the  superstitious  landmark  of  former  generations ;  and  there, 
too,  our  little  party  encamped  within  view  of  the  snow-clad 
mountains  rising  in  the  distance,  while  surrounded  by  the 
verdure  of  summer  and  the  chorus  of  new  discovered  waters : 
and  there  they  celebrated  the  Fourth  of  July  in  honor  of  their 
country's  freedom,  by  unfurling  a  national  flag,  firing  a  salute, 
and  dancing  to  the  music  of  the  fiddle  till  late  in  the  hours 
of  night.      There,   also,  the  wild  tribes   had  assembled  and 


Early  history  oi^  Dakota  tkrritory.  19 

pictured  their  legends  of  love,  war  and  romance,  and  had 
drawn  their  tradition,  like  the  tribes  who  early  lived  at  the 
Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  that  a  beautiful  wife,  despised  and  for- 
saken, was  once  seen  in  the  gray  dawn  of  morning,  w  ith  her 
child  clinging  around  her  neck,  standing  in  her  light  canoe, 
darting  through  the  spray  and  foam  of  the  falls,  over  wdiich 
she  was  precipitated  and  dashed  to  death  on  the  rocks.  A 
modern  poet  has  woven  the  legend  into  verse,  from  which 
I  extract  the  following": 

Long  ere  tho  white  man's  eye  had  seen 
These  flower-deeked  prairies  far  and  wide — 
Long  ere  the  white  man's  bark  had  been 
Borne  on  the  western  river's  tide — 

So  long  ago,  Dakotas  say. 
An-pe-tu-sa-pa-win  was  born; 
Her  eye  beheld  those  scenes  so  gay. 
First  opening  on  life's  rosy  morn. 

He,  whose  smile  as  life  she  prized. 
Sought  newer  love  and  fresher  charms, 
And  she,  forsaken  and  despised, 
Beheld  him  in  a  rival's  arms. 

Long  had  she  hid  her  anguish  keen, 
When  on  the  green  and  sloping  shore, 
The  wild  Dakota's  tent  was  seen. 
With  strange  devices  painted  o'er. 

An-pe-tu-sa-pa-win  was  there. 
Painting  her  face  with  colors  gay; 
And  her  loved  boy  wore  in  his  hair. 
Flowers,  as  'twere  a  gala  day. 

See!    she  has  seized  her  light  canoe. 
And  grasps,  with  haste,  the  slender  oar, 
Her  boy  is  kissed  upon  his  brow. 
And  thus,  in  tears,  she  leaves  the  shore. 


20  EARLY    HISTORY   OF  DAKOTA   TERRITORY. 

The  quivering  bark  like  lightning  flies, 
Urged  by  the  wave  and  bending  oar, — 
Ah!  eager  death  exulting  cries, 
"No  power  on  earth  can  save  her  now." 

With  gentle  words  and  soothing  tone. 
She  strives  the  timid  child  to  cheer, 
And  then  she  raises  her  death  song 
Above  the  tumult,  shrill  and  clear. 

That  song  has  ceased — the  dark  abj-ss 
Swallows  with  haste,  its  willing  prey; 
The  bubbling  waters  round  them  hiss — 
Mother  and  child  have  passed  away. 

Yet  that  death  song  they  say  is  heard, 

Above  the  gloomy  water's  roar, 

By  lonely  travelers  there  allured. 

When  darkness  broods  o'er  wave  and  shore. 

Leaving  this  interesting-  spot,  the  ])arty  arrived,  on  the 
1 2th  of  August,  at  the  great  range  of  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
and  stood  with  enthusiasm  around  the  Httle  spring  from 
which  came  bubbhng  the  remotest  waters  of  the  Missouri. 
"The}'  saw  the  hidden  source  of  that  river  which  had  never 
before  been  seen  by  civiHzed  man ;  and  as  they  quenched 
their  thirst  at  the  chaste  and  icy  fountain ;  as  they  sat  down 
by  the  brink  of  the  rivulet  which  yielded  its  distant  and  mod- 
est tribute  to  the  parent  ocean,  they  felt  themselves  rewarded 
for  all  heir  labors  and  all  their  difficulties.  Proceeding  for- 
ward, they  crossed  the  Rocky  Mountains  on  foot  and  horse- 
back ;  built  canoes  and  descended  the  Columbia  to  the  Pa- 
cific, where  they  passed  the  winter  of  1805- 1806,  among 
tribes  of  Indians  speaking  a  jargon  of  languages  and  living 
in  earthen  and  wooden  huts  like  the  natives  of  India  and  Tar- 
tary. 

A  curious  object  of  wonder,  which,  at  that  early  date,  was 
found  to  exist  among  the  wild  tribes  of  western  Dakota,  was 


EARLY    HISTORY   OE  DAKOTA   TERRITORY.  2  1 

the  voice  of  the  Great  Spirit,  whicli  they  declared  could  be 
heard  like  reports  of  artillery.  amon.Q;  the  inonntains  and 
Black  Hills,  diirinp;  different  parts  of  the  day  and  nig-ht,  and 
when  the  air  was  perfectly  still,  and  cloudless. 

The  Poncas  and  Rickarees  ga\e  the  most  vivid  descri])- 
tion  of  these  strange  noisfes,  coming  from  the  Black  Moun- 
tains, which  resembled  ]:)reciselv  the  report  of  a  six-pound 
piece  of  ordnance  at  the  distance  of  three  miles,  and  which 
they  believed  to  be  the  voice  of  the  Great  Spirit  revealing 
the  localities  of  rich  mines  of  silver. 

Later  explorations  in  this  and  other  countries,  however, 
have  proven  that  these  explosions  are  not  merely  the  objects 
of  early  superstition,  but  important  realities,  which  will  }-et 
reveal  incalculable  wealtli  in  our  Territory.  Mr.  Hunt,  in 
his  passage  through  the  Black  Hills,  corroborated  by  Hum- 
bolt  and  La  Fond,  in  their  mountain  travels,  makes  mention 
of  these  mountain  reports  being  heard  in  the  most  calm  and 
serene  weather,  and  state  that  they  may  be  accounted  for  by 
a  disengagement  of  hydrogen  from  beds  of  subterranean  coal. 
But  Vasconnell,  in  his  travels  through  the  Brazilian  moun- 
tains, was  startled  by  one  of  these  strange  noises,  resembling 
the  simultaneous  discharge  of  many'  pieces  of  artillery,  and 
in  a  few  days  his  Indians  found  a  spot  in  the  direction  of  the 
report,  where  a  rock  had  burst,  and  from  its  interior  was 
thrown  to  light  a  little  treasure  in  the  shape  of  a  hollow  stone 
nut,  about  the  size  of  a  beefs  heart,  and  filled  with  jewelry 
of  various  colors  and  all  of  great  value.  The  rich  mines  of 
gold,  siKer  and  coal,  now  being  opened  by  thousands  of  peo- 
ple in  that  mountain  region  which  was  formerly  a  portion 
•of  Dakota  prove  with  what  accuracy  the  early  explorers  pre- 
dicted the  w^ealth  of  our  Territory. 

In  1763  Canada  passed  under  the  control  of  the  English, 
and  also  as  early  as  1787  McKenzie,  of  the  old  Hudson  Bay 
Company,  chartered  by  Charles  II.  in  1669,  led  the  first  party 
of  w^hite  men  across  the  continent  from  the  Canada  border 
to  the  Pacific,  north  of  latitude  54°. 


22  EARLY    HISTORY   Ol"  DAKOTA   TERRITORY. 

The  old  northwest  boundan-  of  49°.  between  the  United 
States  and  Great  Britain  was  proposed  in  the  early  part  of 
the  present  century,  and  a  long-  diplomatic  controversy  en- 
sued as  to  the  rights  of  discovery  and  occupation  of  the  ter- 
ritorv  south  of  49'' — both  IMcKenzie  and  Lewis  and  Clark 
claimino;  to  have  established  trading  posts,  with  the  flag  of 
their  country,  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  in  1806. 

KARI.V    \-\-\i    TKADi:. 

Soon  after  the  expedition  of  Lewis  and  Clark  American 
traders  and  adventurers  became  induced  to  penetrate  the 
wilderness  and  establish  their  posts  along  the  river  to  traffic 
in  furs  with  the  neighboring  bands  of  Indians.  All  their 
goods  for  the  trade  were  transported  up  the  valley  on  pack- 
horses  or  in  rude  l)oats  propelled  by  oars  and  wind  and  cor- 
delled  over  the  bars  by  means  of  long  ropes  attached  to  the 
boats  and  drawn  by  men  walking  on  shore.  In  the  spring 
they  would  return  to  St.  Louis  with  their  furs  and  peltries, 
usually  traveling  in  circular  skin  boats,  built  like  a  tub,  with 
which  they  could  follow  the  channel  regardless  of  wind,  snags 
or  darkness. 

In  1808  the  Alissouri  Fur  Company  was  formed  at  St. 
Louis,  with  Manuel  Lisa  (a  Spaniard)  at  the  head,  and  within 
two  years  were  erected  the  first  permanent  trading  posts  in 
the  country  drained  by  the  Missouri  river. 

John  Jacob  Astor,  in  1809,  obtained  a  charter  for  a  com- 
pany under  the  head  of  the  ^American  Fur  Company,  which, 
in  181 1.  was  merged  into  an  association  with  certain  parties 
of  the  Northwest  Company,  who  then  bought  out  the  Mac- 
inac  Company,  under  the  name  of  the  Southwest  Company, 
which  was  suspended  in  the  war  of  18 12,  and  finally  termi- 
nated by  act  of  congress  in  181 5.  Mr.  Astor  again  em- 
barked in  the  enterprise  under  the  auspices  of  the  Great 
Pacific  Company,  and  in  1810-11,  his  first  overland  fur  party, 
headed  by  Hunt.  Crooks  and  McLellan,  voyaged  in  oar  boats 
up  the  Missouri  to  the  Arickaree  village,  and  from  thence 


Early  history  of  Dakota  territory.  23 

passed  across  the  country  1)y  way  of  the  T^)lack  Hills,  Wind 
river,  and  Rocky  Mountains,  to  Astoria  on  the  Pacific  coast; 
liavin^-niet  witli  the  most  uni)arallcle(l  sulTcrino-s  ever  endured 
by  any  ])arty  of  adventurers  in  the  Northwest  Territories.  In 
1 82 1  the  Northwest  Company  associated  with  the  Hudson 
Bay  Companw  whose  itinerant  traders  had  for  many  years 
annually  visited  the  northern  tributaries  of  the  Missouri  and 
Yellowstone. 

During  the  two  years  that  followed  there  appears  to  have 
been  no  direct  intercourse  between  the  States  and  the  moun- 
tain reg-ion ;  but  in  1823  Mr.  Ashley  made  a  successful  trip 
to  the  Pacific,  and  in  1826  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur  Com- 
pany commenced  regular  expeditions  to  the  head  waters  of 
the  ]\Iissouri.  The  old  American  Fur  Company  was  now 
aroused  to  more  renewed  activity,  and  assumed  a  field  of 
more  extensive  operations,  until,  in  1832,  it  had  become  the 
controlling  company  in  the  Northwest  Territory.  Up  to  that 
date  this  company  had  been  chiefly  engaged  in  fitting  out 
small  traders  and  assigning  them  to  different  points  in  our 
territory;  and  under  the  direction  and  auspices  of  this  com- 
pany old  Forts  Cedar,  Lookout,  Pierre,  Union,  and  others, 
were  erected  and  made  depots  of  trade.  Three  trading 
houses  were  also  erected  above  the  mouth  of  the  James  river, 
over  forty  years  ago,  by  a  party  of  which  Jephyer  Rencontre 
was  a  member.  Pierre  Choteau  appears  to  have  been  the 
first  man  who  ever  successfully  ran  a  steamboat  to  Fort 
Pierre,  and  under  his  leadership  the  steamers  Antelope  and 
Yellowstone  were  the  first  to  plough  our  northern  rivers,  and 
startle  the  tribes  of  the  wilderness  with  the  scream  of  civiliza- 
tion. 

Catlin  thus  describes  the  appearance  of  the  first  steam- 
boat among  the  natives  of  the  upper  Missouri,  in  1833: 

"If  anything  did  ever  literally  astonish  (and  astound)  the  natives,  it 
was  the  appearance  of  our  steamer,  puffing,  and  blowing,  and  paddling, 
and  rushing  by  their  villages,  which  were  on  the  banks  of  the  river. 
These  poor  and  ignorant  people,  for  the  distance  of  two  thousand  miles, 


24  EAR1,V    HISTORY   OF  DAKOTA   TERRITORY 

had  never  before  seen  or  heard  of  a  steamboat,  and  in  some  places  thej' 
seemed  at  a  loss  to  know  what  to  do  or  how  to  act;  they  could  not,  as 
the  Dutch  did  at  Newburgh  on  the  Hudson  River,  take  it  to  be  a  'float- 
ing saw-mill.'  and  they  had  no  name  for  it;  so  it  was  like  everything 
else  (with  them)  which  is  mysterious  and  unaccountable,  called  medicine 
(mystery).  We  had  on  board  one  twelve-pound  cannon  and  three  or 
four  eight-pound  swivels,  which  we  were  taking  up  to  arm  the  Fur  Com- 
pany's fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yellowstone;  and  at  the  approach  to 
every  village  they  were  all  discharged  several  times  in  rapid  succession, 
which  threw  the  inhabitants  into  utter  confusion  and  amazement.  Some 
of  them  laid  their  faces  to  the  ground,  and  cried  to  the  Great  Spirit;  some 
shot  their  horses  and  dogs,  and  sacrificed  them  to  appease  the  Great 
Spirit,  whom  they  conceived  was  offended;  some  deserted  their  villages, 
and  ran  to  the  top  of  the  bluff  some  miles  distant;  and  others,  in  some 
places,  as  the  boat  landed  in  front  of  their  villages,  came  with  great  cau- 
tion and  peeped  over  the  bank  to  see  the  fate  of  their  chiefs,  whose  duty 
it  was  (from  the  nature  of  their  office)  to  approach  us.  whether  friends 
or  foes,  and  to  go  on  board.  Sometimes  in  this  plight,  they  were  in- 
stantly thrown,  neck  and  heels,  over  each  other's  heads  and  shoulders — 
men,  women  and  children,  and  dogs,  sage,  sachem,  old  and  young — all 
in  a  mass,  at  the  frightful  discharge  of  the  steam  from  the  escape  pipe, 
which  the  captain  of  the  boat  let  loose  upon  them  for  his  own  fun  and 
amusement.  There  were  many  curious  conjectures  among  their  wise  men 
with  regard  to  the  nature  and  powers  of  the  steamboat.  Among  the 
Mandans  some  called  it  the  'big  thunder  canoe,'  for  when  some  distance 
below  the  village  they  'saw  lightning  flash  from  its  sides,  and  heard  the 
thunder  roll  from  its  big  pipe.'  Others  called  it  the  'big  medicine  canoe 
with  eyes.'  It  was  'medicine'  or  mystery,  because  they  could  not  under- 
stand it;  and  it  must  have  eyes,  said  they,  for  it  sees  its  own  way  and 
takes  the  deep  water  in  the  middle  of  ihe  channel.  They  had  no  idea  of 
ihc  boat  being  steered  by  'the  man  in  the  glass  house  at  the  top  of  the 
boat.'  " 

In  iXi-i  tlic  lirsl  attempt  had  been  made  to  establish  forts 
in  the  Mississippi  valley,  and  as  early  as  1823  the  first  steam- 
boat ascended  the  Mississippi  to  Fort  Snelling-.  The  first 
treaty  with  the  Indians  west  of  the  Mississippi  was  made  by 
General  Scott,  at  Davenport,  in  1832,  and  in  1836  the  .c^reat 
Teiriiory  of  Wisconsin  was  organized,  with  Burlinj^ton  as  the 


EARLvY    HISTORY   OP  DAKOTA   TERRITORY.  25 

capital,  at  which  place,  in  i<^37,  assembled  the  first  legislature 
northwest  of  the  Mississippi  river. 

Father  De  Smet,  in  1840,  was  the  first  to  carry  the  cross 
of  religion  and  the  seeds  of  agriculture  to  the  wild  natives 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  During  this  era  there  is  a  period 
of  history  comprising  the  prior  expeditions  of  Robert  Camp- 
bell's fur  ])arties  to  the  mountains  and  the  discovery  of  Great 
Salt  Lake,  in  1826:  and  of  Bonneville's  two  years  of  wild  and 
interesting  adventures  in  the  mountains,  with  his  train  of 
trappers,  iii  1833;  of  the  early  trials  and  wanderings  of  the 
Subletts,  Choteaus.  Wythe,  Fitzpatrick,  Henry,  Stuart,  anr* 
a  host  of  others,  who,  long  ago,  led  their  cavalcades  across 
the  vast  plains  of  the  Northwest,  when  not  a  trace  of  civilized 
settlement  could  be  found  in  all  the  country  between  the 
Missouri  and  the  Pacific :  also,  the  later  explorations  of  the 
fearless  Nicollet  and  Fremont,  in  1839;  Catlin,  in  1832-40; 
Pope,  in  1849;  ^"d  the  still  more  recent  explorations  of  Ste- 
vens, Grover,  Warren,  Hayden,  Mullen,  Reynolds,  and  oth- 
ers, which  will  form  material  for  a  future  publication  of  in- 
terest to  the  people  of  the  great  Northwest. 

Not  until  1834  did  the  first  American  colony  emigrate 
to  the  Pacific  coast;  and  in  1839  the  first  printing-press  was 
carried  beyond  the  mountains.  In  the  year  1835  the  first 
newspaper  in  the  Mississippi  valley  was  published  at  Du- 
buque, in  Wisconsin  Territory,  from  which  vast  region  have 
since  been  carved  and  organized  the  great  Territories  of  Towa, 
in  1838;  Minnesota,  in  1849;  Nebraska,  in  1854;  Dakota, 
in  1861  ;  Idaho,  in  1863;  and  Montana,  in  1864;  while  still 
farther  to  the  west,  beyond  the  mountains,  have  been  framed 
the  Territories  of  Oregon,  in  1848,  and  Washington,  in  1853. 

In  the  year  1849,  by  act  of  congress,  this  portion  of  Da- 
kota was  included  within  the  boundaries  of  the  newly  organ- 
ized Territory  of  Minnesota,  which  had  hitherto  remained  a 
portion  of  the  old  county  of  St.  Croix,  in  Wisconsin  Terri- 
tory. In  1851,  however,  was  consummated,  at  Travers  des 
Sioux,  the  memorable  treaty  between  Governor  Ramsey  and 


26  KARLV    HISTORY   OF  DAKOTA   TKRRITORY. 

the  upper  bands  of  Dakotas,  by  the  provisions  of  whicli  tlie 
government  became  the  possessor  of  the  first  foot  of  land  in 
Dakota  to  wln'cli  the  Indians  had  ever  relincjuished  their  title. 
It  embraced  that  portion  of  territory  lying-  between  the  Big 
Sioux  river  and  the  Minnesota  state  line,  including  Sioux 
Falls  and  the  western  shores  of  Big  Stone  lake.  In  the  same 
year  the  Minnesota  legislature  divided  their  territory  into 
nine  counties,  one  of  which  (Dakota  county)  covered  all  the 
country  lying  between  St.  Paul  and  Yankton,  and  constituted 
the  sixth  council  district,  and  was  entitled  to  two  councilmen 
and  one  representative  in  the  Minnesota  legislature;  but  the 
early  pioneers  on  the  Missouri  river  appear  to  have  been  too 
deeply  absorbed  with  the  profits  of  fur  trading  to  embark  in 
the  critical  business  of  legislating.  In  1854  the  Territory  of 
N'ebraska  was  organized,  and  included  a  large  portion  of  that 
country  which  is  now  in  Dakota,  beyond  the  Running  \\'ater. 
In  the  spring  of  the  same  year,  our  fellow-citizen,  C.  F.  Pi- 
cotte,  passed  up  to  Fort  Pierre  on  the  fur  company's-steamer, 
"Sonora,"  at  which  time  there  was  not  a  white  settler  on  the 
Dakota  side  of  the  Missouri  river.  In  1855  the  Hamey 
treaty  was  consummated,  and  his  forces  marched  from  the 
Platte  to  the  Missouri,  and  encamped  for  the  winter  at  Fort 
Pierre.  The  command  consisted  of  about  1.200  men,  and 
among  the  officers  was  the  heroic  Lyon,  who  fell  in  the  late 
war  for  the  Union ;  also,  Captain  Gardiner,  a  rebel  general 
in  the  Southern  army ;  and  Captain  Todd,  the  first  delegate 
in  congress  from  Dakota.  In  1856  old  Fort  Lookout  was 
occupied  by  government  troops,  and  General  Harney  there 
made  his  headquarters :  but  early  in  the  spring  he  selected 
the  site  and  commenced  the  erection  of  Fort  Randall,  where, 
in  June  of  the  same  year,  the  two  first  companies  of  soldiers 
were  landed  by  steamboat. 

During  the  same  season  Captain  Sully,  at  the  head  of  two 
companies,  marched  across  the  plains  from  Fort  Abercrom- 
bie  for  the  purpose  of  relieving  a  portion  of  the  command 
at  Fort   Pierre,  at  which  ])oint  he  remained  until   1858,  and 


DARLY    HISTORY    OF  DAKOTA   TlvRRTTom'.  2/ 

then  recrossed  the  country  to  Fort  Rido^cly.  1  Aon  remained 
in  charge  of  Fort  Lookout  until  the  sunnner  of  1858.  when 
both  Pierre  and  Lookout  were  abandoned,  and  with  the  ex- 
ception of  a  few  companies  stationed  at  Fort  Randall  the 
military  forces  were  removed  from  the  frontier  to  other  parts 
of  the  country. 

During  these  military  movements  on  our  frontier,  T lieu- 
tenant Warren  and  Dr.  Hayden  were  prosecuting-  their  sci- 
entific investigations  in  the  mysterious  regions  of  the  Black 
Hills  and  Bad  Lands,  while  no  perceptible  settlements  had 
penetrated  the  upper  Missouri  valley,  and  the  soil  of  Dakota 
was  yet  unbroken  by  the  hand  of  civilized  agriculture.  A 
few  adventurous  pioneers  had,  however,  entered  the  wilds 
and  built  cabins  in  the  Indian  countr}-.  preparaton'  to  the 
consummation  of  the  proposed  treaties. 

The  Dakota  Land  Company  of  St.  Paul  and  the  Western 
Town  Company  of  Dubuque  established  themselves  at  points 
on  the  Sioux  river  in  1857.  Fuller,  Dewitt.  Fisk,  Smith  and 
others  of  the  first  named  company  founded  the  towns  of 
Medary,  Flandreau,  Emineza,  and  also  settled  upon  the  upper 
part  of  Sioux  Falls  City,  while  the  Dubuque  company,  under 
its  successive  agents,  Jarrett,  Brookings  and  Waldron,  held 
the  lower  town,  erected  a  number  of  buildings,  and  started  a 
saw-mill,  the  first  in  the  territory;  and  in  the  following  winter 
the  St.  Paul  company  published  the  first  sheets  of  the  Dakota 
Democrat,  which  contained  the  proceedings  of  the  first  provi- 
sional legislature  which  assembled  at  Sioux  Falls  in  the  win- 
ter of  1858-59. 

In  1857  the  old  James  River  House  and  ferry,  near  Yank- 
ton, were  built  by  the  agents  of  Frost,  Todd  &  Co.,  who  had 
obtained  a  license  to  trade  there,  and  in  the  same  season  the 
first  house  in  Clay  county  was  erected  near  the  old  elm  tree 
now  standing  in  the  street  of  Vermillion,  in  front  of  Miner's 
Hotel.  The  first  house  in  Cole  [now  Union]  county  was 
erected  during  the  same  year,  and  is  now  standing  on  the 
bank  of  the  Big  Sioux  river,  near  Pacquette's  Ferry.     In 


28  EARLY    HISTORY   OT   DAKOTA  TERRITORY. 

June.  1858.  the  old  trading-  house  in  Yankton  was  built  by 
G.  D.  Fisk  and  others,  which  is  still  standing  on  the  levee, 
near  the  steamboat  landing.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  J. 
H.  Shober.  at  the  head  of  a  small  band  of  pioneers,  entered 
the  territory,  and  located  at  Bonhomme  Island,  and  Major 
Gregory,  agent  of  the  Poncas,  had  juKt  completed  his  mission 
of  removing  those  Indians  to  the  Dakota  side  of  the  Running 
^^'ater.  During  the  same  season  the  town  of  IMedary  was 
burned,  and  all  of  the  settlements  in  the  Big  Sioux  Valley 
above  Sioux  Falls  were  abandoned  to  the  Indians,  ^^'hile 
these  early  footprints  of  civilization  were  being  stamped  upon 
the  shores  of  the  Missouri  valley,  the  Minnesota  state  con- 
stitutional convention  had  assembled  at  St.  Paul,  and  was  in 
stormy  debate  over  the  question  of  including  this  section  of 
Dakota  within  the  boundaries  of  the  new-made  state,  and  the 
resolution  was  finally  lost  by  only  four  votes. 

In  1858  the  Ponca  and  Yankton  treaties  were  formed, 
through  the  agency  of  J.  B.  S.  Todd,  T.  Brugnier,  C.  F. 
Picotte  and  others,  by  the  provisions  of  which  those  tribes 
ceded  to  the  United  States  about  16,000,000  acres  of  land, 
lying  irt  the  southern  part  of  the  territory*,  and  watered  by  the 
Big  Sioux.  James.  Missouri,  and  Niobrara  rivers.  For  these 
lands  the  government  pays  over  S2. 000.000  in  annual  instal- 
ments for  fifty  years;  and  on  the  13th  July,  A.  H.  Redfield, 
agent  of  tire  Yanktons,  arrived  by  steamboat,  and  the  Indians 
commenced  to  abandon  their  lands  and  to  remove  to  their 
reservation,  near  Fort  Randall.  Plere  begins  the  date  of  per- 
manent settlement  in  Dakota,  when  the  retreating  red  race 
looked  back  ui)on  the  advancing  sentinels  of  civilization  who 
had  come  to  subdue  the  wilds,  and  adorn  our  rixers  with 
thriving  villages.  And  here  we  commence  the  written  his- 
tory of  Dakota's  white  race,  established  in  a  land  where  "wild 
tribes  of  men  have  marched  their  armies  over  our  towns  and 
fields,  and  fierce  battles  have  been  fought  where,  ere  long, 
churches  may  rear  iheir  spires,  and  our  plough-shares  turn 
furrows  amidst  the  graves  of  buried  races,  and  our  children 


EARLY    HISTORY   OF  DAKOTA  TERRITORY.  29 

play,  perliaps,  where  t^enerations  of  children  have  ])laye(l  he- 
fore." 

F,ARLY    SETTr.lCMKNTS. 

Scarcely  had  the  Indians  removed  from  their  old  himtinci^ 
grounds  when  settlers  began  to  enter  the  territory  and  erect 
their  western  cabins. 

In  1859  the  first  white  families  settled  in  the  counties  of 
Union,  Clay,  and  Yankton.  George  Brown  located  at  Ver- 
million in  August,  1859,  and  erected  the  old  "Miner  Hotel." 
Miner  Robinson,  L.  E.  Phelps  and  P.  IT.  Jewell,  removed 
to  Vermillion  during  the  same  season,  and  J.  II.  McFIenry 
opened  the  first  store  at  that  town  in  September,  1859,  and 
in  the  following  spring  the  Van  Metre  ferry  and  Compton 
&  Deuel's  saw-mill  were  put  in  operation.  In  July  J.  Stan- 
age  selected  his  claim  on  James  river,  erected  a  house,  opened 
a  farm,  and  established  a  ferry  for  the  crossing  of  the  public 
travel.  Thomas  Frek  and  Henry  Arend  located  near  the 
upper  ferry,  which  at  that  time  was  the  old  government  cross- 
ing, and  kept  by  J.  M.  Stone,  to  whom  the  settlers'  mail 
matter  once  a  week  was  delivered  from  Sioux  City,  by  the 
driver  of  the  Fort  Randall  express,  ificlosed  in  an  old  oil- 
cloth satchel.  During  the  same  season  D.  T.  Bramble  erect- 
ed the  first  frame  building  in  Yankton,  as  a  store,  near  the 
levee,  on  the  newly  surveyed  townsite  of  the  Upper  Missouri 
Land  Company,  consisting  of  J.  S.  B.  Todd,  A.  W.  Hubbard, 
Enos  Stutsman,  and  others.  Captain  Todd  erected  his  little 
law-office  on  the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Second  streets  dur- 
ing the  same  winter.  M.  K.  Armstrong  came  as  the  first  land 
surveyor  in  Dakota,  in  1859,  and  on  a  cold,  blue  Christmas 
day,  H.  C.  Ash  and  wife,  at  the  head  of  the  pioneer  family 
of  Yankton,  entered  the  place,  and  opened  a  tavern  in  a  rude 
log  house  on  the  west  side  of  Broadway.  During  the  follow- 
ing year  the  old  log  churches  at  Yankton  and  Vermillion 
were  erected,  in  which  the  Revs.  Ployt,  Ingham,  and  Martin, 
were  the  first  to  proclaim  the  word  of  God  to  the  pioneers 


30  EARTHY    HISTORY    OF   DAKOTA    TERRITORY. 

of  Dakota.  At  this  time  Sioux  Falls,  owned  by  the  Diil:)n(iue 
and  St.  Paul  Town  Companies,  was  the  leading  town  in  the 
territory,  and  the  United  States  survey  of  lands  had  been 
extended  to  that  place  in  Scptem1)er,  1859.  and  in  the  fall  of 
i860  the  first  tier  of  townships  was  surveyed  along"  the  Mis- 
souri river,  in  which  year  Vermillion  commenced  its  rapid 
strides  in  growth  and  settlement,  and  out.stripped  all  its  com- 
petitors, while  ^'ankton  was  ranked  as  tlic  third  town  in  Da- 
kota. The  three  places  were  aspirants  for  the  embryo  capital. 
At  Sioux  Falls  the  A'orflr:^'csf  Iiidcpcudciit  was  published,  elec- 
tions had  been  held,  jirovisional  officers  chosen,  a  delegate 
to  congress  elected,  and  legislatures  conxened  in  1858-59  and 
1859-60. 

But  government  appears  to  have  looked  with  more  sur- 
jirise  than  compassion  on  these  early  political  freaks  of  Da- 
kotans.  The  people  who  had  settled  on  the  western  slope 
of  Dakota,  however,  were  more  moderate  in  their  demands, 
and  more  successful  in  their  petitions  to  congress.  These 
pioneers,  on  the  8th  day  of  November,  1859,  assembled  in 
mass  con\-ention  to  petition  congress  for  a  territorial  organ- 
ization. -\  memorial  was  drafted  and  signed  by  the  citizens 
of  the  territory,  which  was  conveyed  to  Washington  by  J.  B. 
S.  Todd,  calling  the  attention  of  the  government  to  our  sit- 
uation. The  session  passed,  congress  adjourned,  and  amid 
the  tumultous  preparations  for  a  presidential  election  and  the 
muttering  thunders  of  a  rising'  rebellion,  Dakota  was  left 
ungoverned  and  unorganized. 

Xot  to  be  discouraged  by  this  partial  failure,  the  pioneers 
assembled  again  in  mass  convention  at  Yankton,  Dec.  2y, 
i860,  and  again  on  Jan.  15,  1861,  and  prepared  an  earnest 
and  lengthy  memorial  to  congress,  which  was  signed  by  578 
citizens  and  forwarded  to  the  speaker  of  the  house  and  presi- 
dent of  the  senate.  Again  a  cloud  hung  dark  over  Dakota's 
prayer.  A  new  president  had  been  elected — the  old  power 
was  retiring,  a  new  one  advancing;  and  the  rebellion  which, 
but  the  year  before,  was  muttering  in  smothered  tones,  had 


EARLY    TTTSTORV   OF  DAKOTA   TKRRTTORV.  31 

now  l^nrst  forth  in  all  its  fury,  and  was  bearing-  upon  its  mad- 
dening- waves  seven  rcxolted  states  of  the  Union.  But 
through  the  gathenng  darkness  a  ray  of  Hght  was  seen.  'I'he 
old  power  could  organize — the  new  one  appoint ;  and  on  the 
second  day  of  March,  1861,  President  Buchanan  approved 
the  bill  giving  to  Dakota  a  territorial  government. 

The  news  did  not  reach  Yankton  until  the  13th  of  the 
month,  and  on  that  night  hats,  hurrahs  and  town  lots  '"went 
up,"  to  greet  the  dawning  future  of  the  Great  Northwest. 

A    C.KKAT   ]-:"MPIRE. 

Under  its  new  boundaries  the  territory  comprised  all  of 
the  present  Territory  of  Montana  and  the  eastern  slope  of 
Idaho,  and  contained  about  350,000  square  miles,  which  was 
bounded  on  the  north  by  the  British  line,  east  by  Minnesota 
and  Towa,  south  by  the  Iowa  line,  and  the  Missouri,  Niobrara 
and  Turtle  Hill  rivers,  up  to  and  along  the  forty-third  parallel 
of  latitude,  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  thence  along  their  snoAvy 
range  to  British  America.  Some  70,000  square  miles  of  this 
territory  was  situated  east  of  the  Missouri  river,  and  consti- 
tuted that  country  which  had  been  trimmed  off  from  the  state 
boundaries  of  Minnesota  in  1858,  while  a  vast  expanse  of  the 
new  territory,  reaching  out  from  the  Missouri  to  the  Rocky 
M(!fimtains,  was  carved  out  of  the  old  Territory  of  Nebraska, 
as  formed  in  1854.  Dakota,  thus  established,  constituted  the 
largest  organized  territor}-  in  the  United  States,  and  afiforded 
a  river  navigation  of  not  less  than  2,000  miles.  In  June  the 
following  officials,  appointed  by  the  new  administration,  ar- 
rived and  entered  upon  the  discharge  of  their  duties:  Wm. 
Jayne  of  Illinois,  governor;  John  Hutchinson  of  Minnesota, 
secretary;  P.  Bliss  of  Ohio,  chief  justice;  L.  P.  Williston  of 
Pennsylvania  and  J.  L.  Williams  of  Tennessee,  associate  jus- 
tices; W.  E.  Gleason  of  Maryland,  district  attorney;  G.  D. 
Hill  of  Michigan,  surveyor  general ;  W.  F.  Shaffer,  marshal ; 
W.  A.  "Burleigh  of  Pennsylvania,  agent  of  Yanktons;  H.  A. 
Hoffman  of  New  York,  agent  of  Poncas.     H.  A.  Kennerly 


32  EARLY    HISTORY   OF  DAKOTA  TERRITORY. 

was  appointed  register  and  Jesse  Wherry  receiver,  of  the  Ver- 
million land  office  during  the  same  season,  both  of  Dakota 
Territor}-.  On  the  6th  of  June  the  Weekly  Dakotaii  was  is- 
sued at  Yankton,  under  the  head  of  the  Dakotan  Company. 
In  the  following  month  The  Dakota  Republican  was  started 
at  Vermillion  by  Bedell  and  Clark. 

A  census  was  taken,  showing  the  population  of  the  terri- 
tory to  be  2.402,  and  on  the  13th  of  July  the  first  proclama- 
tion of  the  governor  was  issued,  dividing  the  territory  into 
judicial  districts,  and  assigning  the  judges  thereto.  Chief 
Jtistice  Bliss  was  assigned  to  the  second  district  nt  Yankton ; 
Assistant  Justice  W  illiston  to  the  X'ermillion  district;  and 
Judge  Williams  to  the  Bonhonune  district.  On  the  29th  of 
July  a  second  proclamation  was  issued,  dividing  the  territory- 
into  council  and  representative  disu^icts.  and  appointing  the 
1 6th  of  September  for  a  general  election. 

EAKI.Y    POLITICS. 

Politics,  now  for  the  first  time,  began  to  ])ewilder  the 
brain  of  Dakota's  people.  J.  B.  S.  Todd  had  already  pub- 
lished himself  as  an  independent  candidate  for  delegate  in 
congress;  and  by  a  convention  which  had  assembled  at  \^er- 
miilion.  on  the  ist  of  June,  A.  J.  Bell  had  been  i)ut  in  nomi- 
nation by  members  of  the  Union  party;  but  not  until  C.  *. 
Booge  had  declared  himself  an  independent  candidate  ma}' 
Dakota  be  said  to  have  fairly  embarked  in  the  race  for  con- 
gress. Todd  was  supported  by  the  ready  quill  of  the  Da- 
kotan and  Bell  by  The  Republican,  while  Booge  relied  upon 
his  fast  horses  and  stump  speakers.  Klection  came  and 
passed — 585  votes  were  polled,  of  which  Todd  received  397. 
Booge  no.  and  Bell  78.  Soon  after  election  the  JVeekly 
Dakotan  and  Republican  were  suspended  till  late  in  the  winter 
of  1861-62,  when  the  Dakotan  was  resumed  under  the  name 
of  Josiah  C.  Trask  as  public  printer  for  the  territorv.  Xearly 
all  the  federal  officers  went  back  to  the  States  during  the 
winter  to  wait  the  convening  of  the  legislature. 


Early  history  of  Dakota  territory.  33 

During  the  winter  of  1861-62,  Captain  Miner's  Company 
A  of  Dakota  cavalry  was  enlisted  at  Yankton,  by  order  of  the 
war  department,  for  frontier  service,  consisting  of  ninety- 
eight  men,  who  were  mustered  in  the  United  States'  service 
April  19,  1862.  The  legislature,  which  had  been  chosen  at 
the  fall  election,  consisting  of  nine  councilmen  and  thirteen 
representatives,  was  convened  by  the  governor  at  Yankton, 
March  17,  1862,  and  perfected  an  organization  by  the  choice 
of  J.  11.  Shober,  president,  and  James  Tufts,  secretary  of  the 
Council;  G.  M.  Pinney,  speaker,  and  J.  R.  Hanson,  chief 
clerk  of  the  house. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  members  and  officers  of  the  first 
legislature : 

Yankton  District — Council:  Enos  Stutsman  and  D.  T.  Bramble. 
House:     M.  K.  Armstrong  and  John  Stanage. 

East  Vermillion  District — Council:  H.  D.  Betts  and  J.  W.  Boyle. 
House:     L.  Burgess  and  A.  W.  Puett. 

West  Vermillion  District — Council:  Jacob  Deuel.  House:  J.  A. 
Jaccbson  and  B.  E.  Wood. 

Big^  Sioux  and  Red  River  District — Council:  Austin  Cole  and  W. 
W.  Brookings.  House:  C.  Maloney,  J.  C.  McBride,  G.  P.  Waldron  and 
H.  S.  Donaldson. 

Bonhomme  District — Council:  J.  H.  Shober.  House:  G.  M. 
Pinney  and  Reuben  Wallace. 

Fort  Randall  District — Council:  J.  C.  Gregory.  House:  J.  L. 
Tiernon. 

Subordinate  Officers — Council:  James  Tufts,  secretary;  E.  M.  Bond, 
assistant;  W.  R.  Goodfellow,  enrolling  clerk;  S.  M.  Ingham,  chaplairv; 
C.  F.  Picotte,  sergeant-at-arms;  E.  B.  Wixon,  messenger;  W.  W.  War- 
fcrd,  fireman. 

Subordinate  Officers — House:  J.  R.  Hanson,  chief  clerk;  J.  M. 
Allen,  assistant;  D.  GifTord,  engrossing  clerk;  B.  M.  Smith,  enrolling 
clerk;  M.  D.  Metcalf,  chaplain;  James  Somers,  sergeant-at-arms;  A.  B. 
Smith,  messenger;  Ole  Anderson,  fireman.  Speaker  Pinney  resigned  on 
the  9th,  and  J.  L.  Tiernon  was  elected  to  the  vacant  chair. 

A  wholesome  code  of  laws  was  passed,  the  capital  per- 
manently located  at  Yankton,  and  the  Red  River  representa- 
tion increased  to  three  members. 

After  the  great  flood  in  March,  caused  by  the  gorging  of 
the  Missouri  river,  which  drove  all  the  settlers  from  the  bot- 
3 


34  Early  history  of  dakota  territory. 

toms  to  the  high  lands  with  their  families  and  herds,  the 
summer  of  1S62  was  one  of  peace  and  prosperity;  the  har- 
vests were  bountiful,  settlements  increased,  while  towns  and 
villages  sprang  to  view  along  the  shores  of  our  navigable 
rivers.  With  the  ist  of  September  came  the  second  general 
election  in  Dakota,  wherein  Governor  Jayne  and  General 
Todd  were  opposing  candidates  for  congress,  respectively 
nominated  by  mass  conventions  of  the  i6th  and  24th  of  July, 
at  Vermillion. 

Politics  were  discarded,  and  they  entered  the  field  as 
Union  candidates,  accompanied  by  two  tickets  of  territorial 
officers  and  candidates  for  the  legislature.  The  campaign 
was  very  sharply  and  earnestly  contested.  J^yne  was  sup- 
ported by  the  Dakotan,  at  Yankton,  and  The  Republican,  at 
Vermillion,  which  had  again  entered  the  political  arena.  Todd 
was  actively  sustained  by  his  friends  in  the  field,  and  by  a 
series  of  thirty-seven  communications  known  as  the  "Log- 
roller  Letters,"  in  the  Sioux  City  Register.  The  interest 
manifested  was  intense.  Eight  hundred  and  sixty-three  votes 
were  polled,  of  which  Jayne  received  408,  and  Todd  375. 
The  election  returns  from  the  counties  of  Bonhomme  and 
Charles  Mix  were  rejected  by  the  board  of  territorial  can- 
vassers, and  the  Red  River  returns  not  arriving  in  time  to  be 
canvassed,  the  result  stood,  Jayne,  2^/;  Todd,  221.  Todd 
contested  the  election  of  Jayne  before  the  committee  of  elec- 
tions m  congress,  and  was  finally  reinstated  in  his  seat,  by 
the  report  of  the  congressional  committee  giving  to  Todd 
345  votes,  and  Jayne  246.  During  the  fall  of  1862  the  \>r- 
millon  land  office  was  formally  opened  by  the  newly  ap- 
pointed register  and  receiver,  J.  M.  Allen  of  Illinois  and  jVI. 
Wilkinson  of  Indiana.  In  the  summer  of  the  same  vear  E. 
Stutsman  was  chosen  private  secretary  of  Governor  Jayne, 
and  Geo.  M.  I'inney  was  aj)i)ointC(l  I'nitcd  vStatcs  marshal  for 
Dakota. 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  DAKOTA   Tl^RRlTORY.  35 

INDIAN  ATTACKS. 

Simultaneously  with  the  eve  of  the  delegate  election  came 
the  painful  tidings,  confirming  the  rumors  of  the  bloody  mas- 
sacre in  Minnesota,  by  the  rebellious  bands  of  Sioux.  The 
fearful  tale  that  hundreds  of  people  had  been  hurried  to  death 
by  these  savages  in  the  short  space  of  five  days,  and  that  the 
revengeful  army,  reeking  in  innocent  blood,  decked  in  the 
garb  of  victory,  and  proud  with  spoils  and  bleeding  captives, 
was  moving  westward  on  the  weak  and  defenseless  settle- 
ments of  Dakota,  could  not  but  cast  terror  and  tears  around 
the  hearthstone  of  many  a  happy  family.  Here  they  had 
planted  their  abodes  in  the  wilderness,  and  with  scanty  means 
and  frugal  industry  were  perfecting,  day  by  da^,  their  little 
homes  of  peace  and  comfort.  But  hark !  the  war  cry  is 
heard ;  the  Sioux  are  on  the  trail ;  two  citizens  are  murdered 
at  noon-day,  and  our  unarmed  and  infant  settlements  stand 
trembling  within  the  grasp  of  30,000  Indians.  The  panic 
flies  from  house  to  house  and  from  village  to  village  until 
three-fourths  of  the  entire  population  is  a  moving  caravan  of 
people.  Stout-hearted  men  stood  blanched  with  terror;  pale- 
faced  mothers  concealed  their  tears,  and  strove,  with  sad- 
dened smiles,  to  calm  the  night  sobs  of  the  weeping  young; 
and  when  the  last  ray  of  sunlight  had  left  the  land  of  ripen- 
ing" harvest  and  the  dark  mantle  of  night  was  closed  over  river 
and  wood  and  plain,  in  homes  where  now  the  voice  of  gladness 
and  the  sound  of  industiy  was  heard  no  more,  surely  the  pall 
of  death  seemed  to  be  settling  over  the  grave  of  the  territory. 
But  not  so.  Dakota  had  men  of  nerve  and  daring ;  and  some 
300  of  these  pioneers  remained  in  the  territory,  threw  u])  their 
hasty  fortifications,  and  with  rifle  in  hand,  stood  sentinel  day 
and  night  to  protect  their  homes  and  families  from  the  nightly 
expected  attack  of  the  red  man  s  knife  and  tomahawk. 

The  town  of  Sioux  Falls  was  abandoned,  and  the  citizens 
fled  to  the  settlements  on  the  Missouri  river  for  protection. 
At  that  place  two  citizens  had  been  nuirdered  in  their  fields 


36  KARLV   HISTORY  OK   DAKOTA  TERRITORY. 

at  noon-day.  and  the  Indians  had  entered  the  town  and  fired 
upon  a  company  of  soldiers.  The  mail  carrier  bet^veen  Sioux 
Falls  and  Yankton  had  been  waylaid  and  robbed,  and  a  party 
of  miners  descending  the  Missouri  river  in  open  boats  was 
attacked  and  murdered  by  a  band  of  Sioux  near  Painted 
Woods  creek,  and  no  news  of  the  fate  of  the  unfortunate 
victims  reached  the  settlement  until  late  in  the  winter.  In 
the  vicinitv  of  Yankton  a  small  war  party  boldly  entered  the 
settlement  on  James  river,  fired  upon  the  citizens  in  the 
threshold  of  their  own  cabins,  resisted  a  detachment  of  sol- 
diers, and  departed  to  the  ])lains  with  their  stolen  plunder, 
while  the  farmers  of  the  settlement,  with  their  families  and 
herds,  resorted  to  the  barracks  of  the  town  for  refuge.  Aside 
from  these,  no  deliberate  attack  was  made  on  the  settlements 
in  the  Missouri  valley.  Gradually  the  fear  of  the  people 
abated,  and  before  the  close  of  autumn  much  of  the  scattered 
population  which  had  fled  to  the  neighboring  Territory  of 
Nebraska  and  State  of  Iowa  began  to  return  to  their  homes, 
and  succeeded  in  gathering  a  sufficient  supply  from  their 
damaged  and  wasting  harvests  to  subsist  themselves  through 
the  coming  winter. 

On  the  ist  of  December  the  second  sess'on  of  the  legisla- 
ture convened  in  the  newly-erected  capitol  building  of  Picotte 
and  Armstrong,  and  the  members  of  the  lower  house  were 
engaged  seventeen  days  in  effecting  a  permanent  organization 
and  receiving  the  message  of  the  governor. 

The  council  permanently  organized  on  the  first  day  of 
the  session  by  the  choice  of  Enos  Stutsman,  president,  and 
James  Tufts,  secretary,  and  the  house  formed  a  temporary 
organization  by  the  election  of  A.  J.  Harlan,  speaker,  and  B. 
M.  Smith,  chief  clerk.  Contested  elections  from  Cole,  Bon- 
homme  and  Charles  Mix  comities  consumed  the  time  of  the 
house  for  ten  days,  when,  on  the  ground  of  a  prejudiced 
ruling  of  the  speaker,  six  members  withdrew  from  the  house 
and  left  the  body  without  a  quorum.  The  house  next  day 
filled  its  quorum  by  admitting  the  contestants  Somers,  Wal- 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF   DAKOTA   TlCRRlTORY.  37 

dron,  Gifford,  Johnson,  and  Kenncrly,  while  the  six  members 
who  withdrew  met  in  the  surveyor  general's  office  and  formed 
an  organization  by  admitting  contestants  Frisbie,  Litchfield, 
Hartsongh  and  Pease.  On  the  i6th  day  of  the  session,  the 
six  members  returned,  and  the  house  was  organized  by  the 
election  of  M.  K.  Amistrong  speaker  and  Robert  Hagaman 
chief  clerk.  The  governor's  message  was  received  on  the 
following  day. 

The  second  session  of  the  legislature,  as  finally  organized, 
stood  thus: 

Yankton  County — Council:  Enos  Stutsman,  D.  T.  Bramble. 
House:     M.  K.  Armstrong,  Knud  Larson. 

Clay  County— Council:  H.  D.  Betts,  J.  W.  Boyle.  House:  A.  J. 
Harlan,  L.  Bothun,  A.  W.  Puett,  J.  A.  Jacobson. 

Cole  County  and  Sioux  Falls — Council:  A.  Cole,  W.  W.  Brookings. 
House:  N.  J.  Wallace,  M.  H.  Somers,  G.  P.  Waldron. 

Red  River  District — Council:  James  McFetridge.  House:  H.  S. 
Donaldson,  J.  Y.  Buckman. 

Bonhomme  County — Council:  J.  H.  Shober.  House:  ■  E.  Gif- 
ford, R.  M.  Johnson. 

Fort  Randall  District — Council:  J.  S.  Gregory.  House:  F.  D. 
Pease. 

Subordinate  Oiificers  of  Council — James  Tufts,  secretary;  W.  W. 
Warford,  assistant;  L.  Robinson,  sergeant-at-arms;  Hans  Gunderson, 
messenger;    Ole  Halverson,  fireman;    M.  Hoyt,  chaplain. 

Subordinate  Officers  of  the  House — R.  M.  Plagaman,  chief  clerk;  J. 
M.  Allen,  assistant;  G.  Jacobson,  sergeant-at-arms;  T.  Halverson,  mes- 
senger;   J.  S.  Presho,  fireman;    J.  D.  Paine,  chaplain. 

GOLD   DISCOVERIES. 

During  the  summer  of  1862  the  first  discovery  of  gold 
had  been  made  in  western  Dakota,  on  the  eastern  slope  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  within  the  present  territories  of  Idaho 
and  Montana;  and  on  the  3d  of  the  following  March,  1863, 
congress  erected  the  new  Territory  of  Idaho,  comprising  all 
that  portion  of  Dakota  west  of  the  twenty-seventh  degree  of 
longitude,  passing  northward  through  the  Black  Hills,  and 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Yellowstone  river.  Over  12,000  peo- 
ple emigrated  to  the  mountain  mines  of  Idaho  in  1863,  and 


38  KARLV  HISTORY  OF  DAKOTA  TERRITORY. 

in  ^lay.  1864,  the  new  Territory  of  Montana  was  erected  out 
of  eastern  Idaho,  with  a  population  of  10,000  people,  and  a 
yearly  product  of  $7,000,000  in  gold  dust.  The  spring-  of 
1863  had  opened  with  discouraging-  prospects  to  the  settlers 
in  the  ^lissouri  valley.  The  rumor  of  a  long  and  harassing 
Indian  war  was  rife  among  the  people.  The  settlements  were 
again  ung"uarded  and  defenseless — no  assistance  was  afforded 
by  the  commander  of  the  district  until  a  daring  murder  was 
committed  by  a  war  party  within  three  miles  of  the  capitol 
and  whole  settlements  of  industrious  farmers  had  abandoned 
the  territory.  But  the  future  brightened  and  the  hopes  of 
the  people  revived  when,  in  June,  General  Sully,  with  2,000 
cavalry,  entered  the  Missouri  valley,  pursued  and  punished 
the  Indians,  at  the  head  of  White  Stone  Hills,  and  returned 
to  garrison  the  settlements  for  the  winter.  Fort  Sully  was 
built  near  the  line  of  the  Indian  country,  and  was  garrisoned 
as  the  frontier  post  in  the  territory. 

Eighteen  steamboats  passed  up  tlie  Missouri  into  the  new^ 
territories  during  the  year  1863,  carrying"  many  thousands  of 
tons  of  freight  and  hundreds  of  passengers  for  the  new  gold 
mines.  During  the  same  season  the  Santee  and  Winnebago 
tribes  of  Indians  were  removed  from  Minnesota  to  Dakota, 
and  located  on  reser\ations  near  Crow  creek,  in  latitude 
forty-four  degrees  north. 

In  September  occurred  the  third  general  election  in  Da- 
kota. But  little  interest  was  manifested,  and  a  small  vote 
polled  throughout  the  territoiy.  Drouth,  Indians  and  mis- 
fortunes had  abated  the  political  and  agricultural  ardor  of 
the  people.  During  the  year  Newton  Edmunds  was  ap- 
pointed governor:  G.  P.  Waldron,  provost  marshal  and  J. 
W.  Boyle  receiver  United  States  land  office.  On  the  seventh 
of  December  the  third  session  of  the  legislature  convened  at 
Yankton,  and  perfected  an  organization  with  the  following 
members  and  officers,  to-wit : 

Yankton  County — Council:  Enos  Stutsman,  J.  M.  Stone,  G.  W. 
Kingsbury.  House:  John  Lawrence.  VV.  W.  Brookings,  Knud  Larson, 
\V.  Reed,  P.  H.  Risiling. 


DARIvY  HISTORY  OF  DAKOTA  TERRITORY.  39 

Clay  County — Council:  Lasse  Bolhun,  Hugh  Compton,  Franklin 
Taylor.  House:  H.  Burgess,  Ole  Boltollson,  A.  W.  Puctt,  E.  M.  Bond, 
Wm.  Shriner,  G.  W.  Pratt. 

Cole  County— Council:  J.  O.  Taylor,  M.  M.  Rich,  John  Mathers. 
House:  N.  G.  Curtis,  B.  A.  Hill,  Duncan  Ross,  Albert  Gore,  Asa  Mat- 
tison. 

Bonhomme  County — Council:  ]).  V.  I'radford.  lloust':  licnry 
Brooks,  L.  H.  Litchfield. 

Todd  County — Council:  J.  Shaw  Gregory.  House:  Jesse  Wherry, 
Peter  Kegan. 

Charles  Mix  Count.v— Council:  John  J.  Thompson.  House:  E. 
W.  Wall. 

•  Officers  of  the  Council — Enos  Stutsman,  president;  J.  R.  Hanson, 
secretary;  C.  F.  Ressteucher,  as.sistant;  B.  C.  Fowler,  sergeant-at-arms; 
C.  E.  Rowley,  messenger;  T.  W.  Thompson,  fireman;  Rev.  M.  Hoyt, 
chaplain. 

Officers  of  the  House— A.  W.  Puett,  speaker;  Mahlon  Gore,  chief 
clerk;  A.  K.  Curtis,  assistant;  Ole  Sampson,  sergeant-at-arms;  Louis 
Larson,  fireman;    L.  K.  Severson.  messenger;    Almon  Gore,  chaplain. 

In  the  spring  of  1864  the  population  of  Dakota  was  in- 
creased by  the  advent  of  a  New  York  colony  of  sixty  families, 
who  settled  along-  the  Missouri  valley. 

General  vSully,  in  Tnne,  led  his  second  military  expedition 
through  the  territory,  to  punish  the  hostile  tribes  of  the 
Northwest.  His  command  consisted  of  about  2,600  men, 
and  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  small  detachments  of  troops 
were  left  in  his  rear  to  protect  the  towns  and  settlements,  the 
United  States  mail  stage  was  attacked  upon  the  highway  of 
the  territory,  and  murder  committed  almost  within  signal 
shot  of  a  garrisoned  station.  Fort  Rice  was  erected  and  gar- 
risoned during  the  summer  by  the  forces  of  Generals  Sully 
and  Sibley. 

The  season  of  1864  was  unpi-opitious  for  the  .settlements 
of  the  territory.  Unremitting  drouth  and  clouds  of  grass- 
hoppers .swept  the  bloom  of  the  fields  and  the  verdure  of  the 
plains,  and  with  the  approach  of  autumn  the  despondent 
farmers  repaired  with  their  teams  to  the  neighboring  states 
to  bring  in  a  supply  of  sul)sistence  until  another  seed  time. 
Lurking  bands  of  Indians  continued  to  hang  upon  the  border 
settlements  for  rapine  and  murder,  and  during  the  .sea.son  a 


40  KARLY  HISTORY  OF  DAKOTA  TERRITORY,  . 

whole  family  was  massacred  within  twelve  miles  of  the  cap- 
ital, while  teamsters  were  robbed  on  the  upper  thoroughfares 
and  their  stock  driven  to  the  plains.  The  prospects  for  the 
future  were  truly  discouraging,  and  many  of  the  earliest  set- 
tlers abandoned  the  territory. 

On  the  nth  of  October  occurred  the  third  delegate  elec- 
tion, wlicreiii  W.  A.  Burleigh  and  J.  B.  "S.  Todd  were  oppos- 
iug  candidates  for  congress,  running  substantially  on  the 
same  political  platform.  A  new  independent  paper  had  been 
started  at  Yankton,  in  June,  styled  the  Dakota  Union,  pub- 
lished by  G.  W.  Kingsbury,  with  M.  K.  Armstrong  as  asso- 
ciate editor.  This  publication  maintained  a  vigorous  exist- 
ence for  ten  successive  issues,  opposing  the  election  of  Mr. 
Burleigh,  but  upon  the  nomination  of  General  Todd  the  pa- 
per was  finally  consolidated  with  the  Dakotan,  under  the  name 
of  the  Union  and  Dakotan.  Six  hundred  and  seven  votes 
were  polled,  of  which  Burleigh  received  386,  and  Todd  220. 
Mr.  Burleigh  was  therefore  declared  by  the  canvassers  duly 
elected,  and  assumed  his  seat  in  congress  as  third  delegate 
from  Dakota. 

On  the  5th  of  December  the  fourth  annual  session  of  the 
legislature  convened  at  Yankton,  and  perfected  an  organiza- 
tion with  the  following  members  and  officers,  to-wit : 

Yankton  County — Council:  Enos  Stutsman,  G.  W.  Kingsbury,  J.  M. 
Stone.  House:  W.  W.  Brookings,  J.  R.  Hanson.  John  Lawrence,  M. 
M.  Mattison,  W.  Reed. 

Union  County — Council:  J.  O.  Taylor,  M.  M.  Rich,  John  Mathers. 
House:  A.  Christy,  G.  W.  Kellogg,  Peter  Lemonges,  H.  Matthews, 
Geo.  Stickney. 

Clay  County — Council:  Lasse  Bothun,  Hugh  Compton,  Franklin 
Taylor.  House:  H.  Burgess,  J.  P.  Burgman,  B.  W.  Collar,  G.  W.  Pratt, 
Wm.  Shriner,  J.  W.  Turner. 

Bonhomme  County — Council:  D.  P.  Bradford.  House:  John 
Rouse,  John  W.  Owens. 

Todd  County — Council:  J.  Shaw  Gregory.  House:  Francis  Mc- 
Carthy, Peter  Kegan. 

Charles  Mix  County — Council:  John  J.  Thompson.  House:  F. 
Fallas.  E.  W.  Wall. 

Officers  of  the  Council— Enos  Stutsman,  president;  G.  N.  Propper. 
secretary;  James  B.  Gayton  and  C.   F.    Ressteucher,    assistants;     Carlos 


EARLY  HISTORY   OF  DAKOTA    lERRITORY.  4' 

Kingley,  sergeant-at-arnis;     Mons   Rothun,  messenger:    W.    II.    Wcrde- 
baugh.  fireman;    L.  P.  Judson,  chaplain. 

Officers  of  the  House— W.  W.  Brookings,  speaker;  G.  I.  Foster, 
clerk;  L.  E.  Congleton,  assistant;  J.  P.  Renne,  sergeant-at-arnis:  Krick 
Nelson,  messenger;    Peter  Nelson,  fireman;    M.  Hoyt,  chaplain. 

The  sprini^  of  1865  q-ave  promise  of  a  more  prosperous 
future  to  the  territory.  Eig"hty-five  thousand  dollars  had 
been  appropriated  by  congress  for  the  opening  of  Avagon 
roads  through  the  territories  to  the  Rocky  Mountain  gold 
mines.  Col.  James  S.  Sawyer  was  appointed  superintendent 
to  construct  the  road  from  Niobrara  to  Virginia  City  with 
$30,000.  Col.  G.  C.  Moody  was  assigned  to  the  road  from 
Sioux  City  up  the  Missouri  valley  to  the  great  Sheyenne  with 
$25,000;  and  W.  W.  Brookings,  with  $30,000.  was  selected' 
to  construct  a  road  across  Dakota  from  the  Minnesota  line, 
out  the  Sheyenne,  to  intersect  with  the  Sawyer  route,  west 
of  the  Black  Hills. 

In  June.  General  Sully  led  his  third  expedition  up  the 
Missouri  valley  into  the  Indian  country;  and  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  "Brule  Creek  Massacre"  in  August,  peace  and 
safety  generally  prevailed  throughout  the  settled  portion  of 
the  territory.  The  season  was  a  favorable  one  for  the  farm- 
ers, and  the  fields  yielded  a  bountiful  harvest.  Schools  were 
numerously  established  throughout  the  territory,  and  the 
erection  of  an  Episcopal  church  was  commenced  at  Yankton. 
The  first  session  of  the  supreme  court  of  Dakota  was  con- 
vened at  the  capitol,  July  6,  1865.  Hon.  Ara  Bartlett,  J.  P. 
Kidder  and  W.  E.  Gleeson  presided  and  selected  M.  K.  Arm- 
strong clerk  of  the  court. 

On  the  loth  of  October  came  the  fifth  general  election 
for  members  of  the  legislative  assembly.  No  political  lines 
were  drawn,  and  a  moderate  vote  was  polled  throughout  the 
territory. 

On  the  fourth  day  of  December  the  fifth  legislature  con- 
vened at  Yankton,  consisting  of  the  following  members: 

Yankton  County— Council:  Enos  Stutsman,  M.  K.  Armstrong,  G. 
\V.  Kingsbury,  A.  Van  Osdcl.  House:  W.  W.  Brookings,  H.  C.  Ash,  A. 
M.  English,  S.   C.  Fargo,  Jacob  Brough. 


42  EARLY  HISTORY  OF  DAKOTA   TERRITORY. 

Union  County — Council:  George  Stickney,  Charles  LaBreeche,  O. 
F.  Stevens.  House:  T.  C.  Watson,  E.  C.  Collins,  William  Walters, 
Michael  Curry,  Michael  Ryan,  G.  W.  Kellogg,   Edward  Lent. 

Clay  County— Council:  J.  W.  Turner.  N.  V.  Ross,  Canute  Weeks. 
House:  H.  J.  Austin,  James  Whitehorn,  G.  B.  Bigelow,  Amos  Hamp- 
ton, Franklin  Taylor,  James  McHenry. 

Bonhomme  County — Council:  Austin  Cole.  House:  Jonathan 
Brown.   Charles  N.    Cooper. 

Todd  County— Council:  J.  Shaw  Gregory.  House:  J.  .\.  Lewis. 
C.  H.   McCarthy. 

Charles  Mix  County — Council:  John  J.  Thompson.  House:  W. 
Stevens,  Joseph   Ellis. 

Officers  of  the  Council:— George  Stickney,  president;  J.  R.  Hanson, 
secretary;  Edwin  Vinton,  assistant;  J.  D.  Prentice,  sergeant-at-arms;  Benj. 
Fraley.  messenger;  Joseph  Broulettc.  fireman;  Rev.  M.  Hoyt,  chaplain. 

Officers  of  the  House — G.  B.  BigcIow,  speaker;  George  L  Foster, 
chief  clerk;  John  Reynolds,  assistant;  George  Falkingburg.  sergeant-at- 
arms:  S.  M.  Kessler,  fireman;  Steven  Baker,  messenger;  Rev.  M.  Hoyt, 
chaplain. 

.\nd  here,  in  1865,  witli  the  termination  of  the  fifth  ses- 
sion of  the  leg-islative  assembly  of  Dakota,  we  close  the  early 
history  of  this  threat  territory  of  the  Northwest.  We  have 
endeavored  to  present  a  ]ilain,  im polished  record  of  dates, 
events  and  localities.  These  are  the  footprints  of  Dakota's 
past ;  the  future  remains  to  be  lived  and  recorded — the  future 
of  three  vast  states  stretching  across  the  nation's  inevitable 
highway,  from  the  great  lakes  to  the  mountains.  Through 
the  midst  of  our  entire  border  the  Almighty  has  traced  the 
watercourse  of  one  of  the  greatest  rivers  on  the  continent. 
ri.<ing  among  the  cliffs  of  eternal  frost  and  bearing  upon  its 
bosom  the  wealth  of  the  mountains,  the  commerce  of  the  val- 
leys and  harvest  of  the  plains,  southward  to  the  sea.  Not  five 
years  of  our  political  existence  have  yet  elapsed,  and  notwith- 
standing the  terrors  of  a  three  years'  relentless  Indian  war 
in  our  midst  the  people  of  the  Missouri  valley  have  steadily 
advanced  to  a  permanent  degree  of  prosperity,  with  churches 
and  schools,  and  all  the  attendants  of  an  enlightened  com- 
munity. 

Already  the  .screaming  chorus  of  navigation  is  heard  upon 
our  rivers,  and  the  iron  finger  of  commerce  is  pointing  from 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  DAKOTA   TERRITORY.  43 

the  Upper  Mississippi  to  the  wilds  of  the  Northwest  Terri- 
tory, whose  mountain  sides  are  ah-eady  yielding  an  annual 
product  of  gold  to  the  amount  of  twenty  millions  of  dollars. 
Verily, 

"Westward  the  star  of  empire  takes  its  way." 

We  have  only  to  look  back  through  tliirty-five  years  of 
wilderness  to  find  the  wild  wolf  howling  in  the  streets  of 
Chicago,  and  the  stark  and  untamed  red-man  roaming  at 
will  through  his  native  forests  in  Illinois  and  Wisconsin ;  and 
crossing  the  father  of  rivers  into  Iowa,  in  1832,  we  find  the 
retreating  savage  relinciuishing  to  the  government  the  first 
foot  of  land  northwest  of  the  River  Mississippi ;  and  again, 
in  185 1,  the  great  Sioux  nation  yields  up  to  the  pale-faced 
race  the  sky-tinted  clime  of  Minnesota;  while  in  1857  the 
advent  of  the  first  railroad  train  northwest  of  the  Mississippi 
is  announced  by  the  scream  of  the  iron  horse  on  the  eastern 
plains  of  Iowa;  and  soon  thereafter,  in  1858,  far  up  in  the 
Missouri  valley  of  Dakota  and  Nebraska  the  still  retreating 
red  man  cedes  to  his  great  father  the  land  of  his  birth,  and 
turns  his  face  westward  to  his  inevitable  doom.  And  still 
the  intelligent  and  aggressive  army  of  pale-faces  is  pressing 
up  this  great  artery  of  the  Northwest,  causing  its  valleys  to 
resotmd  with  the  himi  of  invincible  enterprise,  and  its  gold- 
seamed  mountains  to  ring  beneath  the  stroke  of  thirty  thou- 
sand miners.  Let  the  early  pioneer  of  the  Northwest  gather 
courage  from  the  lessons  of  the  past.  Let  him  remember 
that  out  of  a  wilderness  of  thirty  years  ago  have  grown  rich 
and  powerful  states,  with  their  millions  of  people,  whose 
steamers  and  railroad  trains  are  thundering  through  every 
valley,  and  whose  cities  and  church-spires  are  rising  from 
almost  every  hill-top  and  plain.  Who  shall  say,  then,  that 
thirty  years  of  the  future  will  not  build  a  highway  of  cities 
up  our  navigable  and  fertile  valleys,  over  the  golden  moun- 
tains to  the  ocean.  The  day  is  not  distant  when  the  near 
and  accessible  Black   Hills,  with  their  pine-clad   vales  and 


44  EARLY  HISTORY  OF  DAKOTA  TERRITORY. 

aiirific  ledges,  will  be  wrested  from  the  jealous  savage,  and 
peace  restored  with  the  rebellious  tribes  between  the  river 
and  the  mountains.  Then  will  the  thoroughfares  of  travel 
and  trade  penetrate  the  interior  of  the  Northwest  wild,  and 
develop  its  unbounded  resources.  ^ 

Let  us  remain  true,  patient,  honest  and  industrious,  and 
the  world  will  admire  us  and  fill  our  lands  with  people.  The 
graves  of  our  early  dead  will  be  honored  in  coming  years,  and 
the  Northwest  will  boast  of  its  wealth,  trade,  society,  insti- 
tutions and  men. 


NATURAL  RESOURCES  OF  THE  NORTHWEST 
TERRITORIES,  AS  SEEN  IN   1866. 

The  Black  Hills  and  Bad  Lands  of  Dakota  and  Montana 
territories,  lying  near  the  102  meridian  of  longitude,  and 
between  the  Niobrara  and  the  Yellowstone  rivers,  is  a  region 
which  has  always  excited  the  interest  of  geologists  and  ex- 
plorers, but  remains,  even  up  to  the  present  time,  a  myste- 
rious and  undevelo])ed  belt  of  the  continent  where  none  but 
the  wild  beast  and  red  man  hold  dominion.  On  account 
of  the  determined  and  superstitious  hostility  of  the  Indians 
in  that  region,  no  geologist  has  ever  been  able  to  penetrate 
into  the  interior  of  the  Black  Hills,  and  no  scientific  explora- 
tion has  ever  been  made  among  the  mysterious  ruins  of  the 
Bad  Lands,  save  a  hasty  survey  by  Evans  in  1849  ^^^d  Weeks 
and  Hayden  in  1856-57.  Projecting  peaks  of  these  hills 
have  been  ascended  to  the  height  of  6,500  feet  above  the  sea 
level,  while  the  long  winding  valley  of  the  Bad  Lands  is 
sunken,  in  many  places,  to  the  depth  of  1,000  feet  below  the 
surface  of  the  surrounding  prairies. 

The   Black   Hills,   savs   Tvieutenant   Warren,   who   visited 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  DAKOTA  TERRITORY.  45 

their  base  in  1857-58,  are  composed  of  the  same  formations 
of  stratified  rocks  as  are  found  in  the  gold-bearing  gulches 
of  the  Wind  river  and  Big  Horn  mountains;  these  hills,  in 
his  opinion,  being  only  an  out-cropping  spur  of  the  great 
Rocky  Mountain  range,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Bannock  and 
Virginia  City  mines.  The  vast  forests  of  magnificent  pine 
which  literally  darken  the  flanks  of  this  mountain  range,  have 
given  to  it  among  travelers  the  name  of  "Jjlack  Hills,"  situ- 
ated between  the  forks  of  the  Great  Sheyenne.  ]3r.  Hayden, 
the  geologist,  says  the  lowest  member  of  the  Silurian  period, 
or  gold-bearing  strata,  arc  well  developed  in  these  hills,  and 
the  recent  discoveries  made  by  General  Sully's  Indian  expe- 
dition, which  crossed  the  northern  trend  of  the  Bad  Lands 
in  1864,  and  Colonel  Sawyer's  road  expedition  along  the 
south  base  of  the  Black  Hills  in  1865,  clearly  indicate  that 
the  next  succeeding  formation,  known  as  the  Devonian  sys- 
tem, is  brought  to  light  in  the  floor  of  the  great  Bad  Lands 
basin.  The  vast  ruins  of  petrified  forests,  with  their  fallen 
trees,  lie  strewn  among  peaks  and  castles  of  brick,  coal  and 
organic  remains,  with  piers  and  bridges  of  stone,  resembling 
the  works  of  an  ancient  people.  This  system  is  known  in 
geology  as  the  period  in  the  earth's  formation  which  corre- 
sponds with  the  third  day  of  creation,  when  the  great  coal 
measures  of  the  earth  commenced  their  slow  formation  with 
the  first  appearance  of  vegetation  upon  the  globe,  and  it  is 
an  established  geological  fact  that  the  most  extensive  coal 
deposits  are  met  with  in  all  countries  next  above  the  Devo- 
nian series,  and  the  petroleum  or  oil-bearing  rocks  are  to  be 
found  in  this  and  the  lower  Silurian  period,  which  Dr.  Hay- 
den says  are  well  developed  in  the  Black  Hills  region. 

It  is  now  the  prevailing  opinion  of  geologists,  based  upon 
scientific  reasoning,  that  the  basin  of  the  Bad  Lands  is  the 
ancient  bed  of  a  great  coal  field,  which  became  self-ignited 
at  some  distant  period,  and  like  many  of  the  coal-fields  of 
England,  has  been  slowly  burned  out  by  its  own  bituminous 
fuel. 


46  EARLY  HISTORY  OV  DAKOTA  TERRITORY. 

Colter  and  others,  in  1804- 1805,  crossed  the  northern 
trend  of  this  great  fire  land,  where,  at  that  early  day.  they 
represent  the  whole  country  as  being  on  fire,  emitting  a  car- 
boniferous smoke  and  the  sound  of  rumbling  thunder  from 
the  heated  earth;  and  as  these  phenomena  were  mentioned 
by  Lewis  and  Clark  in  1806,  and  by  Hunt,  McKenzie  and 
Crooks  in  their  fur  expedition  to  the  mountains  in  181 1,  there 
is  conclusive  evidence  to  sustain  the  statement  made  by  Gen- 
eral Sully  in  his  of^cial  report  of  1864.  that  "coal  exists  in  all 
the  country  from  the  Missouri  to  the  Yellowstone." 

The  early  discovery  of  oil  springs  in  that  region  by  Cap- 
tain Bonneville  in  1833,  and  the  still  later  and  reliable  dis- 
covery of  Mr.  Eddy,  in  1865,  of  large  flowing  oil  springs  to 
the  west  of  the  Black  Hills,  foretells  the  hidden  wealth  of  this 
vast  region. 

Humboldt  and  De  Smet  make  mention  of  mountain  re- 
ports being  heard  in  the  vicinity  of  these  hills  in  the  early 
part  of  the  present  century,  resembling  the  discharge  of 
artillery,  in  the  most  calm  and  serene  weather,  which  the  wild 
and  superstitious  natives  of  that  region  believed  to  be  the 
bursting  of  rich  mineral  deposits,  the  locality  of  which  were 
revealed  only  to  the  red  man,  and  were  entombed  far  up 
among  the  dark  and  inaccessible  defiles  of  the  Black  Hills. 
But  modern  discovery  and  science  account  for  these  strange 
phenomena  by  attributing  the  cause  to  an  escape  of  hydrogen 
from  subterranean  beds  of  burning  coal.  Later  travelers  in- 
form us  that  since  the  year  1830  these  strange  "fires  and 
explosions''  have  ceased.  Captain  Bonneville,  in  1834,  and 
Parker,  in  1835,  found  nothing  but  the  silent,  dismal  and 
mysterious  ruins  of  this  great  subterraneous  conflagration, 
heaped  in  charred  and  crumbling  towers  and  castles  in  the 
midst  of  a  solitary  valley  of  ashes,  bones  and  petrifaction. 

This  theory  in  the  origin  of  the  Bad  Lands  being  sus- 
tained both  by  history^  and  geology,  it  is  confidently  believed 
by  the  people  of  the  Northwest  that  coal  oil  reservoirs  will 
yet  be  found  in  great  abundance  at  the  north  and  east  base 


Early  pitstorv  of  dakota  terrttorv.  47 

of  the  Black  Hills.  Here  in  the  upheaval  of  this  mountain 
range,  geology  points  to  the  oil-bearing  rocks  of  the  Devo- 
nian and  Silurian  formations,  which  have  been  thrown  up. 
through  and  above  the  surrounding  coal-fields  which  border 
immediately  upon  the  base  of  these  mountainous  hills,  whose 
northern  slopes  are  believed  to  be  laden  with  immense  de- 
posits of  lead  and  iron. 

Professor  Owens,  United  States  geologist,  in  his  re])ort 
of  1852,  in  speaking  of  this  mysterious  region,  compares  the 
Bad  Lands  to  ''some  magnificent  city  of  the  dead,  where  the 
labor  and  the  genius  of  forgotten  nations  had  left  behind 
them  a  multitude  of  monuments  of  art  and  skill.  At  every 
step  objects  of  the  highest  interest  present  themselves.  Em- 
bedded in  the  debris,  lie  strewn,  in  the  greatest  profusion,  or- 
ganic relics  of  extinct  animals.  All  speak  of  the  former  ex- 
istence of  most  remarkable  races  that  roamed  about  in  by- 
gone ages  high  up  in  the  valley  of  the  Missouri  towards  the 
sources  of  its  w^estern  tributaries." 

This  eminent  geologist  demonstrates  that  all  the  strata 
composing  the  formation  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Black  Hills 
and  Bad  Lands,  "have  been  a  succession  of  sediments  or 
precipitates  at  the  bottom  of  the  ocean."  "Thus,"  says  he, 
''the  geologist  is  able  to  prove,  as  satisfactorily  as  can  be 
demonstrated  a  mathematical  problem,  that  at  the  time  these 
fossil  mammalia  of  the  Bad  Lands  lived,  the  ocean  still  ebbed 
and  flowed  over  Switzerland,  including  its  present  site  of  the 
Alps,  whose  highest  summits  then  reached  only  above  the 
surface  of  the  sea,  constituting  a  small  archipelago  of  a  few 
distant  islands  in  the  great  expanse  of  the  ocean." 

The  same  geologists  inform  us  that  the  Black  Hills  of 
Dakota,  the  silver-bearing  placers  of  the  Amazon,  the  rich 
Cordilleras  of  South  America,  the  Himalava  range  of  India, 
the  Alps  of  Switzerland  and  the  volcanic  .Ltna  of  Sicily,  have 
all  emerged  from  the  sea  at  the  same  geological  period,  and 
that  the  same  formation  of  mineral-l)earing  strata  can  be 
traced  in  each. 


48  EARLY  HISTORY  OF  DAKOTA  TERRITORY. 

The  actual  discoveries  of  Astor's  fnr  parties  in  1811.  and 
of  Captain  Bonneville  in  1834,  of  Harney  in  1855,  Warren  in 
1856-57,  of  Dr.  Hayden  in  1858-59,  General  Snlly  in  1864. 
and  Colonel  Sawyer  in  1865,  prove  conclusively  that  the 
Black  Hill  region  abounds  not  only  in  the  precious  metals, 
but  in  iron,  lead,  coal,  salt  and  petroleum,  aside  from  its  vast 
forests  of  magnificent  pine  and  cedar. 

We  believe  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when  a  commercial 
city  will  spring  up  in  the  citadel  of  these  hills  of  wealth  which 
will  direct  the  iron  track  of  the  first  railway  from  the  upper 
Mississippi  to  the  "northern  mines"  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

THE    MISSOURI    VAlJJvY    OF    DAKOTA. 

The  Missouri  vallev  of  Dakota,  between  the  forty-second 
and  forty-seventh  degrees  of  north  latitude,  is  one  of  the 
finest  agricultural  regions  in  the  Northwestern  Territories. 
The  bottom  lands  bordering  on  this  great  river  and  its  trib- 
utaries, possess  most  singular  richness  and  uniformity  of  soil, 
and  furnish  the  most  splendid  natural  meadow  of  luxuriant 
grasses;  while  the  adjoining  prairies,  clothed  in  nutritious 
herbage,  are  high  and  rolling,  and  free  from  malaria.  On 
the  abundant  pasturage  of  the  plains,  and  the  green  rushes 
of  the  valleys,  cattle  and  horses  subsist  through  the  whole 
winter  without  care  or  attention,  by  sheltering  themselves  in 
the  timbered  ravines  and  river  woodlands.  Rain  in  winter  is 
seldom  known  in  this  latitude,  while  the  spring  and  autumn 
fall  of  water  does  not  equal  that  of  the  states  in  the  Mississippi 
valley  by  several  inches.  All  kinds  of  grain,  fruit,  and  vege- 
table roots  usually  grown  in  the  Middle  States  here  yield 
abundantly.  Wild  apples,  plums,  cherries,  grapes,  hops,  and 
wild  artichokes  (or  native  potatoes)  grow  spontaneously,  and 
yield  in  fabulous  profusion  along  all  the  brooks  and  streams 
in  the  Missouri  valley.  Corn  well  cultivated  has  yielded 
seventy-three  bushels  per  acre,  wheat  forty-two  bushels,  and 
potatoes  270.  The  excess  of  mean  summer  heat  in  this  val- 
ley above  that  required  for  the  thrifty  growth  of  all  staple 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  DAKOTA   TERRITORY.  49 

cereals  is  from  two  to  five  degrees,  while  the  winters  are  dry. 
cold  and  imiforni  in  temperature,  with  a  clear  sky  and  ex- 
hilarating air. 

Nearly  one  million  acres  of  land  have  been  surveyed  l)y 
the  government,  lying  along  the  Missouri  valley  in  Dakota, 
extending  from  the  Big  Sioux  river  to  the  Niobrara,  includ- 
ing the  counties  of  Union,  Clay,  Yankton,  Bonhomme  and 
Todd.  Over  100,000  acres  have  been  filed  on  by  actual  set- 
tlers in  these  counties  alone,  under  the  provisions  of  the 
homestead  and  preemption  laws,  since  the  opening  of  the 
United  States  land  office  at  Vermillion,  in  1862.  Many  of 
the  most  desirable  locations  in  the  whole  valley  yet  remain 
open  to  the  future  emigrant.  The  dark  and  perilous  days  in 
the  pioneer  settlement  of  Dakota  have  been  met  and  passed, 
and  notwithstanding  the  three  years'  Indian  war  upon  our 
border,  one  hundred  miles  of  flourishing"  settlements  have 
been  established  along  the  shores  of  the  Missouri  valley.  No 
people  in  the  West  have  emlured  so  many  perils  and  dangers 
incident  to  the  early  settlement  of  a  new  territory  as  the 
pioneers  of  Dakota  Territory.  With  50,000  Indians  between 
the  river  and  the  mountains,  either  openly  hostile  or  secretly 
opposed  to  the  advancement  of  white  settlements  and  the 
navigation  of  the  river,  the  pioneer  farmers  have  steadily  ad- 
vanced along  the  southern  frontier  of  the  territory,  fixing 
their  permanent  abodes  on  the  borders  of  civiHzation.  While 
these  worthy  pioneers  of  southern  Dakota  have  been  pushing 
their  way  against  the  Indian  hordes  of  the  upper  Missouri, 
the  golden  attractions  of  the  Missouri  and  Yellowstone  have 
been  plucked  from  our  western  border,  and  given  to  the  new 
■territories  of  Montana  and  Idaho,  while  millions  of  dollars 
and  several  thousand  soldiers  have  been  engaged  by  the  gov- 
ernment during  the  last  three  years  in  putting  down  the  stu- 
penduous  Indian  rebellion  of  central  Dakota. 

The  following  table  will  l)e  found  of  interest  as  an  exhibit 
of  the  Indian  population  of  the  Missouri  river  and  its  tribu- 
taries : 


50 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  DAKOTA  TERRITORY 
NORTHWESTERN   INDIAN   TRIBES. 


TRIBE. 


Popula- 
tion. 


Yanktons 

Popkas 

Santee  Sioux 

Bniles  of  Platte  and  Black  Hills. 

Ogallalas 

Sheyennes 

Arapahoes 

Two  Kettles 

Minneconjoes 

Yanctonnais 

Uncpapas  and  San  Arcs 

Blackfeet 

Wandering  Sioux 

Groventres,  Mandans  and  Rees  . 

Assiniboines 

Crows 

Groventres  of  the  Prairie 

Pigans 

Bloods 

Blackfeet 

Flatheads 

Pend  d'Oreilles,   etc 

Total 


2,530 
1,100 

1,043 
4,800 
3.065 
3,000 
2,800 

7S0 
2,220 
4,200 
2,400 
1,200 

800 
2,500 
3.280 
3.500 
1,800 
1,870 
2.150 
2,450 

551 
1,281 


REMARKS. 


60,369 


Treaty  of  1857. 
Treaty  of  1858. 
Treaty  of  1851. 
Wild  tribes 
Wild  tribes. 
Hostile  tribes. 
Hostile  tribes. 
Wild  tribes. 
Wild  tribes. 
Hostile  tribes. 
Hostile  tribes. 
Treaty  of  1853. 
Outlaws  of  1862. 
Harney  treaty,  1855. 
Wild  tribes. 
Wild  and  warlike. 
Wild  tribes. 
Treaty  of  1853. 
Treaty  of  1853. 
Treaty  of  1853. 
Treaty  of  1853. 
Treaty  of  1853. 


All  of  these  tribes  reside  upon  waters  which  flow  into  the 
Missouri  river.  They  range  over  an  extent  of  territory  com- 
prising over  300,000  square  miles,  and  receive  from  the  gov- 
ernment in  annuities  and  presents  over  a  quarter  of  a  million 
dollars  a  year,  or  about  five  dollars  per  head. 

Only  four  resident  tribes  have  yet  relinquished  their  lands 
to  the  United  States.  Their  agencies  and  Indian  villages, 
interspersed  with  trading  posts  and  military  garrisons,  are 
the  only  huma;i  habitations  for  a  thousand  miles  along  the 
upper  Missouri.  And  notwithstanding  the  native  wildness 
of  this  vast  region,  the  steamboat  navigation  upon  these 
upper  waters  now  amounts  to  many  million  dollars  annually. 
The  heavy  transportation  of  mills  and  machinery  to  the  mines 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  the  supply  of  Indian  agencies, 
fur  posts  and  military  forts  along  the  river,  already  amounts 
to  over  12,000  tons  yearly,  and  requires  forty  annual  steam- 


EARLY   HISTORY   OF   DAKOTA   TlvRRITORY.  5' 

boat  trips  into  the  far  interior.  Steamboats  ascend  to  Fort 
Benton,  near  the  great  falls,  within  140  miles  of  the  Helena 
mines,  the  richest  yet  found  in  Montana  Territory,  and  within 
forty-four  miles  of  the  newly-discovered  mines  on  Sun  river. 

The  Yellowstone  river  was  navigated  by  General  Sully's 
steamboats,  in  1864,  to  near  the  mouth  of  Powder  river, 
and  it  is  evident  that  during  the  early  part  of  the  season  small- 
ciass  boats  can  reach  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Horn.  The  Great 
Sheyenne  river  can  be  ascended  with  flat  boats  to  the  very 
base  of  the  Black  Hills,  upon  which  stream  the  vast  pine  for- 
ests of  that  region  can  be  easily  floated  to  the  Missouri,  a 
distance  of  160  miles. 

Coal  in  inexhaustible  quantities  has  been  found  on  all  the 
upper  tributaries  of  the  Missouri  and  Yellowstone.  Upon 
a  complete  restoration  of  peace  with  the  hostile  Indian  tribes, 
now  so  near  at  hand,  the  Missouri  river  will  become  the  great 
thoroughfare  of  all  the  northwestern  trade  and  travel.  We 
have  only  to  look  to  the  increase  of  navigation  on  this  stream 
for  the  last  five  years,  and  we  can  well  predict  the  future 
steamboat  trade  of  the  upper  Missouri. 

vSince  the  opening  of  navigation  in  i860,  120  steamboats 
have  ascended  the  Missouri  river  into  Dakota  Territory.  Of 
these,  nine  arrived  in  i860,  eleven  in  1861,  thirteen  in  1862, 
eighteen  in  1863,  thirty  in  1864,  thirty-nine  in  1865,  an  aver- 
age of  twenty-four  arrivals  each  year,  or  an  increase  of  forty 
per  cent  per  annum.  These  boats  have  carried  into  the  up- 
per Missouri  valley  an  aggregate  of  35,000  tons  of  freight, 
worth  at  least  $35,000,000.  Aside  from  this,  170  mackinaw 
boats  have  arrived  from  the  mountains  since  i860,  bringing 
over  $15,000,000  in  furs  and  gold. 


52  EARI.V    HISTORY    OF   DAKOTA   TERRITORY. 

EARl.Y  KLECTION8. 

The  first  legislature  in  the  newly-formed  Territory  o/ 
Dakota  assembled  in  September.  1861.  The  session  was  a 
stormy  one,  and  many  stirring  and  exciting  scenes  took  place 
over  the  bill  locating  the  first  capitol  at  Yankton.  This  pio- 
neer legislature  was  made  up  of  a  strange  medley  of  men 
There  were  among  them  gentlemen  of  scholarly  attainments 
and  graduates  of  the  highest  Eastern  colleges ;  also,  lawyers 
of  brilliant  abilities  and  large  experience,  educated  minister^ 
and  doctors,  and  rough  frontiersmen  in  buckskin  suits,  bead- 
ed moccasins  and  long  hair. 

In  one  of  these  early  legislatures  my  seat  was  near  a  fron- 
tier member  and  desperado,  by  the  name  of  Jim  Somers,  who 
some  years  afterwards  Avas  shot  dead  for  jumping  a  claim 
near  Chamberlain.  He  was  a  giant  in  frame,  and  as  daring 
as  an  Indian.  He  gloried  in  his  chieftain  dress,  and  was 
armed  like  an  arsenal.  On  one  occasion  he  got  on  the  war- 
path in  Yankton,  and  rode  on  horseback  into  a  saloon  and 
«hot  the  sherifi".  He  fled  to  the  Indian  country,  and  was  him- 
self shot  dead,  as  before  stated.  I  remember  vividly  the  only 
speech  Jim  made  in  the  legislature.  It  was  short,  but  full 
of  fire  and  threats  of  vengeance  against  all  who  should  dare 
to  vote  against  his  bill  legalizing  marriages  between  white 
men  and  squaws.  Jim  and  his  cannon  were  both  loaded  thai 
morning,  when  he  arose  with  blood  in  his  eye,  and  swore  he 
would  blow  out  all  the  brains  of  the  assembled  lawmakers 
if  they  killed  his  bill.  He  declared  that  what  Dakota  needed 
was  less  brains  and  more  children,  and  he  struck  his  fist  on 
the  desk  and  moved  that  the  legislature  adjourn  and  take 
Indian  wives  and  go  out  populating  the  country. 

Another  historic  character  in  those  early  legislatures  was 
old  Father  Turner,  eighty-two  years  old,  who  had  served  in 
the  New  York  legislature  Avith  the  distinguished  \\m.  H. 
Seward.  Judge  Brookings,  the  pioneer  of  Sioux  Falls,  was  an- 
other early  legislator,  and  afterwards  justice  of  the  supreme 
court.     The  first  time  I  met  Judge  Brookings  was  in  1859. 


EARLY   TTTSTORV  or   DAF-COTA    TTvRRTTORY.  53 

when  he  was  holdinc;-  down  tlie  townsitc  of  Sioux  Falls,  and 
was  cooking  big-  pancakes  or  flagjacks  in  a  long  handled 
spider  over  an  evening  camp  fire.  Knos  v^tntsnian  Avas  an- 
other bright  lawyer  in  the  first  legislature,  who  died  many 
years  ago  while  serving  as  United  States  treasury  agent  at 
Pembina.  In  1867  he  and  I  made  the  overland  journey  from 
the  British  line  to  Fort  Abercrombie.  Dakota,  with  a  pair  of 
Hudson  Bay  ponies.  The  distance  was  140  miles,  and  there 
was  not  a  white  settlement  on  the  west  side  of  Red  river. 
We  camped  out  nights,  and  were  a  whole  week  making  the 
trip. 

Geo.  W.  Kingsbury,  now  of  the  Yankton  Press  and  Da- 
kotan,  was  always  one  of  the  most  popular  members  of  those 
early  legislatures.  He  was  also  territorial  printer,  and  pub- 
lished my  first  history  of  Dakota.  Among  other  noted 
characters  of  those  early  days  was  Dr.  W.  A.  Burleigh,  "the 
wild  Indian  tamer."  and  George  Washington  Kellogg,  "The 
Sage  of  the  Sioux  Valley,"  and  Jud  Lamoure,  the  "Wizard 
of  the  North." 

Old  Gen.  C.  T.  Campbell,  a  noted  and  eccentric  charac- 
ter, was  at  all  times'  a  power  in  political  campaigns.  He 
was  a  red-hot,  rip-roaring  Democrat,  and  kept  an  Indian 
trading  post  on  the  upper  river,  above  Fort  Randall.  When 
he  heard  that  his  friend  Armstrong  had  been  nominated  for 
congress  by  the  Democrats,  he  sent  down  his  mule  team  with 
an  immediate  requisition  for  three  barrels  of  whisky  and  some 
army  muskets  and  ammunition,  with  which  to  storm  ithe 
enemy's  works  on  the  frontier.  He  reported  that  the  voters 
were  waiting  to  be  persuaded,  and  preferred  wet  ammuni- 
tion, and  all  he  asked  for  was  to  know  just  how  many  votes 
were  needed  to  carry  the  election  for  his  friend  and  the  old 
flag.  After  the  campaign  Vv-as  over  he  came  down  to  Yank- 
ton, riding  an  army  mule,  waving  an  American  flag  and  load- 
ed with  election  returns  and  the  remains  of  tlie  campaign 
liquor. 

Among  the  Democratic  stump  speakers  in  that  campaign 
were  Bartlett  Tripp,  afterwards  minister  to  Austria :    Secre- 


54  EARLY  HISTORY  OF  DAKOTA  TERRITORY. 

tary  S.  L.  Spink,  an  eloquent  orator,  and  John  Brennan,  since 
dead.  In  one  of  our  early  campaigns  1  traveled  down  the 
Missouri  river  on  one  of  Captain  Coulson's  steamboats  in 
company  with  Gen.  Phil.  Sheridan  and  Col.  Fred  Grant. 
The  upper  country  at  that  time  was  full  of  Indians,  with  but 
few  white  voters. 

Many  were  the  dangers  and  hardships  endured  by  the 
pioneer  settlers  of  those  early  days.  The  severe  winter 
storms  and  fierce  prairie  fires  of  autumn,  which  swept  down 
from  the  north  with  the  speed  and  terror  of  a  drove  of  wild 
horses,  carried  death  and  destruction  in  their  path.  In  the 
winter  of  1861  Geo.  D.  Fisk.  who  was  living  with  me  in  a 
log  cabin  on  the*  present  townsite  of  Yankton,  was  lost  in  a 
blizzard  in  town  and  was  found  two  days  afterward  frozen 
dead,  face  downward,  in  a  snowdrift  just  west  of  what  is  now 
Broadwav.  He  was  buried  by  the  few  pioneers  on  the  wintry 
hillside,  in  the  first  dug  grave  in  Yankton.  The  same  season 
two  overland  travelers  had  perished  in  a  raging  prairie  fire 
north  of  town,  and  were  buried  on  the  James  river  bluff, 
where  for  years  their  rude  head  boards  marked  their  lonely 
graves  near  the  old  ferry.  During  the  Indian  troubles  of 
1862-63  the  mail  carrier  from  Sioux  City  to  Yankton  was 
killed  and  two  citizens  were  shot  in  their  wagon  by  the  In- 
dians near  the  same  ferry.  At  Sioux  Falls  a  farmer  and  son 
were  murdered  in  their  field,  and  the  few  citizens  evacuated 
the  town. 

If  a  narrative  were  written,  reciting  in  story  the  many 
thrilling  events  of  the  early  da3^s  in  Dakota,  it  would  form  a 
volume  of  absorbing  interest.  The  hardships,  privations  and 
sufferings  encountered  by  the  pioneer  settlers  through  storm, 
fire  and  flood  in  that  wild  Indian  country  reminds  one  of  the 
trials  of  our  Pilgrim  Fathers  when  they  landed  upon  that 
wild  and  rock-bound  coast  where  they  kindled  the  first  spark 
of  American  civilization  and  erected  the  standard  of  the  Chris- 
tian religion  in  the  new  world. 


Early  history  of  Dakota  territory.  55 

The  first  elections  in  Dakota  were  "wide  open,  red-hot 
and  mighty  interesting.''  Sioux  City  was  the  pohtical  head- 
quarters for  the  campaign  in  the  Sioux  valley  and  southern 
counties  of  Dakota,  and  many  citizens  here  remember  to  this 
day  "the  hot  times  in  the  old  town"  during  those  early  ter- 
ritorial elections.  TIere  is  where  the  candidates  and  cam- 
paign speakers  would  assemble  to  load  up  with  patriotism 
and  firewater,  and  charge  across  the  Sioux  to  attack  the 
bewildered  voters  with  spread-eagle  speeches,  torch-light  pa- 
rades, fife  and  drum  and  bottles  labeled  "fire  water."  These 
campaigij  parties  traveled  in  cavalcades  made  up  of  men  on 
foot,  on  horseback  and  with  band  wagon.  The  musicians 
were  to  furnish  the  music  and  do  the  fighting  at  the  meet- 
ings, the  lawyers  were  to  make  the  speeches  and  do  the  lying, 
the  voters  were  to  furnish  the  cheers  and  do  the  drinking, 
while  the  candidates  were  to  do  their  bragging  during  the 
campaign  and  to  pay  the  bills  and  do  the  swearing  after  elec- 
tion. 

In  one  of  those  early  campaigns  we  made  a  trip  by  land 
one  hundred  miles  up  the  Sioux  valley  with  our  political  car- 
avan and  fife  and  drum  to  Siotix  Falls,  where  at  night  we 
had  a  mass  meeting,  a  torch-light  parade,  some  hot  speeches 
and  some  free  fights.  Next  day  we  rode  overland  fifty  miles 
to  Vermillion  with  not  a  voter  or  a  house  in  sight  on  the 
whole  rotite.  At  noon  we  camped  and  took  our  lunch  on  the 
open  prairie,  after  which  we  picked  our  teeth  with  our  jack- 
knives  and  wiped  our  mouths,  of  course,  while  the  band  played 
a  tune  or  two  to  charm,  or  rather  scare,  the  prairie  wolves. 
At  night  we  reached  Vermillion  and  held  another  campaign 
rally,  with  louder  music,  bigger  torches  and  better  street 
fights.  Next  morning  we  continued  on  down  the  Missouri 
valley  to  the  French  settlem.ent,  v»'here  the  voters  were  all 
Catholics  and  Democrats.  Here  we  struck  the  fun  of  the 
campaign,  furnished  by  the  enthusiastic  and  excitable  French 
voters.  We  had  music,  dances,  barbecues,  horse  races  and 
speeches.     One  night  after  our  meeting  was  over,  and  every- 


$6  EARLY  HISTORY  OF  DAKOTA  TERRITORY. 

body  and  everything-  was  full,  even  to  the  moon,  a  wagon 
load  of  singing  Frenchmen  dashed  up  in  front  of  the  cross- 
roads hotel.  The  shouting  tally-ho  driver  cracked  his  whip, 
the  spirited  team  leaped  forward  around  a  sharp  turn,  and 
spilt  the  whole  Democratic  caucus  into  a  ditch,  with  the 
wagon  box  on  top.  They  crawled  out  from  under  without 
a  scratch,  and  made  a  demand  on  the  candidate  for  something 
to  wash  the  dust  out  of  their  throats. 

Next  dav  we  held  a  political  gathering  from  the  steps  of 
the  new  Catholic  church,  by  consent  of  the  priest,  on  condi- 
tion that  the  candidate  pay  for  lumber  enough  to  build  a 
much-needed  picket  fence  around  the  church  lot.  Tn  the 
evening  they  allowed  me  to  dance  with  the  French  girls  if  I 
would  furnish  the  band  of  music.  The  joy  and  revelry  last- 
ed long  after  midnight,  and  in  the  morning  T  woke  up  with 
crooked  legs  from  being  jerked  and  whirled  around  in  the 
French  four  dances. 

We  made  another  campaign  tour  one  hundred  miles  up 
the  Missouri  river  to  the  wild  frontier  district  of  my  old 
friend,  Gen.  C.  T.  Campbell,  where  he  kept  a  trading  post 
and  bar.  \\'hen  we  arrived  we  found  he  had  arranged  a  pro- 
gram to  entertain  us  during  our  stay.  We  had  Indian  war 
dances,  a  dog  feast,  a  shooting  match  and  bottled  stimulants. 
While  the  old  jcfeneral  was  making  his  star  speech  of  welcome 
some  one  on  the  back  seats  shot  ofY  the  general's  hat  and 
broke  a  decanter  on  a  shelf  behind  him.  But  he  went  right 
on  speaking,  bareheaded,  and  finished  in  fiery  elof|uence.  He 
then  proposed  that  the  candidate  lead  the  thirsty  crowd  up 
to  the  bar  and  invite  them  to  select  their  poison.  Of  course 
T  led  the  way  to  the  speaker's  stand,  while  the  shouting  audi- 
ence followed  close  at  my  heels  to  make  the  attack  on  the 
shining  array  of  decanters.  Our  band  struck  up  and  played 
a  lively  dance  tune  for  the  Indians,  who  pronounced  it  "heap 
noise,  plenty  brass,  big  thunder."  As  things  began  to  get 
exciting.  I  drew  the  general  aside,  and  suggested  that  when 
the  next  shooting  scene  was  to  take  place  I  would  retire  to 


EART.V   HTSTCIRV   OV  DAKOTA    TKKRTTOUV.  5/ 

the  side  wings  of  the  staqfe  for  pra>er  and  insDirntion.  I  told 
him  T  dichi't  come  up  there  to  he  shot  at — that  T  came  to 
catch  ballots,  not  bullets.  He  blurted  out  -vvith  an  oath — 
saying : 

"Now,  Armstrong,  don't  be  a  d d  coward.      T  br< night 

you  up  here  to  sliow  these  Democratic  hyenas  the  kind  of 
stufY  you  are  made  of.  Tf  you  show  the  white  feather,  you 
are  a  dead  duck  with  this  crowd.  You  should  have  done 
vour  praA'ing  l^efore  you  crossed  the  countv  line — 

"You  must  bare  your  breast  an'  tell  'em  to  shoot. 
And  you'll  get  the  vote  of  every  galoot." 

1  followed  the  old  general's  stage  ])ractice  and  got  the 
votes. 

We  then  made  another  trip  of  four  hundred  miles  north- 
ward to  the  half-breed  settlement  on  the  Pembina  river  in 
North  Dakota.  Here  young  Joe  Rolette  took  me  in  hand 
and  in  a  wooden  t\\-o-wheeled  Red  river  cart,  harnessed  with 
rawhide  to  a  trotting  ox.  we  traveled  for  a  week  around 
among  the  settlers.  The  ox  would  take  a  pacing  rack  or 
trot,  and  would  go  thirty  miles  a  day.  At  night  we  had 
meetings  in  the  log  houses  in  the  woods,  winding  up  with  a 
dance,  a  feast  of  pemmican  meat,  maple  su.ifar.  rabiboo  and 
red  rum.  Those  were  times  of  wild  jubilee,  mirth  and  mer- 
riment, and  as  I  was  then  in  the  prime  of  life.  T  enjoyed  the 
excitinsf  events  of  the  frontier. 


EARLY  SKETCHES 


PIONEER  LEGISLATURES 


INDIAN  WARS. 


EARLY    SKETCHES    OF    PIONEER    LECTSEATrRES 
AND    INDIAN  WARS. 


Yankton,  March  25.  1862. 

The  first  legislative  assembly  of  Dakota  met  at  Yankton. 
on  the  17th  inst.,  and  orc^^anized  by  the  election  of  J.  11. 
Shober,  president  of  the  council,  and  George  M.  Pinney, 
speaker  of  the  house. 

Judge  Tufts,  of  the  "live  and  enterprising  town  of  Tufts- 
ville,"  is  chief  clerk  of  the  council,  and  J.  R.  Hanson,  of  this 
place,  chief  clerk  of  the  house.  The  upper  house  consists  of 
nine  members,  the  lower  house,  thirteen. 

This  is  the  first  legislature  in  the  territory,  and  the  two 
houses  constitute  a  regular  "steer  team,"  each  trying  to  turn 
the  yoke  on  the  other.  The  house  declares  the  council  "out 
of  order"  for  sending  a  message  when  the  house  is  in  session. 
The  council  retorts  by  sending  a  copy  of  the  joint  rules  to 
the  house.  The  house  then  retracts  and  sends  an  apology 
and  vote  of  thanks  to  the  council.  Dignified  councilmen 
chuckle  and  whisper  "we  have  'em  this  time,  sure."  The 
next  day's  journal  reads,  "on  motion  of  the  council,"  etc.. 
which  "motion"  is  supposed  to  take  place  every  morning 
toward  Robeart's  saloon. 

Waldron  of  the  house,  "the  man  of  waterfalls,"  appears 
on  the  journals  as  moving  that  a  committee  of  three  be  ap- 
pointed to  wait  upon  the  honorable  secretary,  and  request 
him  to  furnish  the  members  with  knives.  A  member  quaintly 
moved  to  amend  so  as  to  read  "pen  knives,"  as  he  feared  that 
the  secretary  might  place  butcher  knives  on  the  desks  of 
members,  as  the  lower  house  was  considered  the  "fighting 
bodv."     However,  the  members  are  all  fast  working  into  the 


62  PIONEER  EEGISLATURES  AND   INDIAN   WARS. 

harness,  and  will  begin  to  pull  true  in  a  few  days.  Both 
houses  are  composed  of  men  of  fair  talent  and  good  attain- 
ment, some  of  whom  have  held  much  higher  positions  than 
those  they  now  occupy. 

The  governor's  message  was  delivered  on  Wednesday  last 
before  a  joint  convention  of  the  two  houses,  and  portions  of 
it  referred  to  the  appropriate  committees.  Three  thousand 
cppies  were  ordered  printed  in  the  English,  French,  German 
and  Norwegian  languages.  No  copies  will  be  printed  for 
some  days,  for  want  of  help,  type  and  paper.  The  message 
opens  with  a  truthful  description  of  the  resources  of  the  en- 
tire territory — dwells  at  length  on  her  bright  future — recom- 
mends to  the  legislature  the  memorializing  of  congress  for 
an  appropriation  for  a  Pacific  railroad,  for  a  geological  sur- 
vey, military  highv.-ays  from  the  Big-  Sioux  to  Fort  Randall, 
and  from  Fort  Randall  to  Fort  Laramie,  and  from  Red  river 
to  the  Missouri.  He  also  recommends  the  passage  of  a  ter- 
ritorial homestead  law,  and  an  act  prohibiting  slavery  in  the 
territory,  and  the  organizing  of  a  thorough  and  liberal  school 
system. 

The  Red  River  delegation  have  arrived,  and  they  appear 
to  be  men  of  ability  and  experience.  They  performed  a  part 
of  their  northern  journey  in  dog-trains. 

Ziebach  is  here  as  foreman  of  the  public  printing.  The 
whole  duty  is  thrown  on  his  shoulders,  with  no  paper,  a  few 
type,  a  hand  press,  a  man  and  a  boy  to  do  the  territorial 
printing.  No  daily  journals  are  now  published,  and  the 
members  are  left  to  retain  in  their  memory  the  proceedings 
of  the  whole  week.  This  is  done  that  a  Kansas  printer, 
Trask,  might  be  accommodated  with  the  job  of  the  territorial 
printing,  in  preference  to  our  home  publishers  of  the  Weekly 
Dakotan  and  Dakota  Republican,  who  have  published  the  only 
two  papers  in  the  territoiw  for  the  last  year,  and  who  are  as 
thoroughly  versed  in  the  art,  and  would  have  done  the  work 
in  a  style  as  neat  and  cheap  as  can  be  done  anywhere.  Had 
this  been  done,  the  press,  type,  material  and  helj)  would  have 


PIONEER  IvKGISLATURES  AND   INDIAN  WARS.  63 

been  in  readiness  weeks  ago,  and  a  weekly  paper  would  now 
be  in  circulation  among  the  people,  containing  the  governor's 
message  and  the  legislative  proceedings.  It  does  seem  that 
our  officials  are  determined  to  distribute  their  patronage 
among  non-residents  of  the  territory,  and  keep  the  money 
out  of  the  reach  of  the  people. 

The  capitol  cjuestion  has  not  yet  been  mooted.  'i'lie 
members  appear  to  be  willing  to  let  it  remain  where  it  is  for 
the  present. 

A  bill  has  passed  the  lower  house  providing  for  the  pay- 
ment of  the  direct  tax  of  Dakota,  by  deducting  it  from  the 
$20,000  appropriated  to  the  territory  for  legislative  purposes. 

A  homestead  exemption  law  has  passed  the  council, 
whereby  a  man  can  have  a  house  and  farm,  a  drove  of  cattle, 
hogs  and  sheep,  and  "many  other  things  too  numerous  to 
mention,"  all  exempt  from  execution  for  debt.  You  shall 
hear  from  me  next  week. 


Yankton,  April  4,  1862. 

The  wheels  of  legislation  have  got  fairly  in  motion.  I 
notice  by  the  daily  reading  of  bills  that  the  two  branches  have 
reached  as  high  as  House  File  48,  and  Council  File  44 ;  mak- 
ing ninety-two  bills,  resolutions  and  memorials  presented 
within  the  last  three  weeks.  The  members  are  earnestly  at 
work,  and  everything  bids  fair  for  a  useful  session.  The 
most  important  of  the  local  bills  of  the  territory  have  been 
disposed  of,  and  the  judiciary  committee  are  at  work  on  a 
civil  and  criminal  code,  which  will  be  reported  in  the  course 
of  ten  days. 

Much  of  the  time  of  the  lower  house,  since  my  last  letter, 
hasl^een  consumed  in  discussing,  figuring,  sparring  and  vot- 
ing on  the  capitol  bill,  which  finally  passed  on  the  5th  inst., 
locating  the  permanent  seat  of  government  at  Yankton. 

Excitement  ran  to  a  high  pitch  during  a  few  days  on  the 


64  PIONEER  LEGISLATURE  AND  INDIAN  WARS. 

last  Stages  of  the  bill.  A  little  blood  was  shed,  much  whiskey 
drank,  a  fe\\'  eyes  blacked,  revolvers  drawn,  and  some  run- 
ning done.  A  few  kept  sober,  stood  at  the  wheel,  cleared  the 
shoals,  and  steered  the  bill  through  the  darkness. 

Ji  appears  that  the  speaker  betrayed  his  friends  on  this 
bill,  and  broke  from  their  ranks,  after  they  had  raised  him  to 
the  speakership  of  the  house  and  had  received  from  him  a 
pledge  in  writing  on  this  particular  measure.  When  the 
council  bill  arose  in  the  house  he  deliberately  went  from  his 
chair  to  the  floor  and  moved  to  amend  the  bill  by  striking  out 
the  word  "Yankton"  and  insert  "Bonhonnne";  which  being 
lost,  he  again  moved  to  strike  out  "Yankton"  and  insert 
"Vermillion"  ;  the  vote  being  a  tie,  he  gave  the  casting  vote 
in  the  afifirmative,  thus  violating  his  pledge  and  playing  trai- 
tor to  his  friends  for  the  benefit  of  others. 

The  bill  then  went  to  the  council  and  was  returned  to  the 
house  in  the  short  space  of  twenty-five  minutes,  with  the  non- 
concurrence  of  the  council  to  the  house  amendment.  A 
member  of  the  house,  who,  as  it  seems,  had  underground 
conununication  with  the  council,  and  had  been  watching  for 
the  bill,  now  coolly  rose  and  moved  that  the  house  recede 
from  its  amendment  and  conciu"  w  ith  the  council,  which  was 
carried,  and  the  capitol  located  at  Yankton. 

I  hear  less  complaint  of  late  among  members,  with  regard 
to  the  printing  of  laws,  etc.,  although  I  perceive  they  have 
no  published  journals  as  yet. 

Thus  far  the  council  has  performed  the  bulk  of  labor  of 
both  houses. 

Air.  Gregory  arrived  here  to-day  and  will  take  his  seat 
in  the  council  to- morrow.  lie  is  an  honor  and  an  ornament 
to  that  body. 

'i'he  town  of  Yankton  begins  to  prick  up  her  ears,  and 
feel  city  like.  A  bill  has  ])assed  the  house  locating  the  cap- 
itol at  Yankton,  the  penitentiary  at  ]>onhonuue,  and  the  uni- 
versitv  at  Vermillion. 


PIONEER  I.EGISLATURES  AND   INDIAN   WARS.  65 

The  apportionment  bills  have  passed  the  house,  raising  the 
representation  of  the  territory  to  thirteen  councihnen  and 
twenty-three  representatives. 


Yankton,  April  9,  1862. 

As  I  predicted  in  my  last  letter,  the  house  of  representa- 
tives of  this  territory  has  proved  "the  fighting  body."  Yes- 
terday morning,  at  nine  o'clock,  the  governor  sent  an  armed 
detachment  of  twenty  men  of  the  Dakota  cavalry,  with  fixed 
bayonets,  into  the  hall  of  the  house  of  representatives,  with 
instructions  "to  preserve  order,  make  arrests  if  necessary, 
and  to  protect  the  house  in  the  peaceful  performance  of  its 
duties."  ' 

The  representatives  of  the  people  took  this  as  an  unpro- 
voked insult  on  the  part  of  the  governor,  and  thereupon  they 
adjourned  and  left  the  hall.  Immediately  upon  the  appear- 
ance of  the  soldiers  in  the  hall  a  member  "rose  and  introduced 
a  resolution,  requesting  the  governor  to  communicate  to  that 
body  what  object  he  might  have  in  stationing  an  armed  force 
on  the  floor  of  the  house.  The  speaker  ruled  the  member 
out  of  order,  and  refused  to  entertain  the  resolution,  stating 
that  he  had  made  a  requisition  upon  the  governor  for  "pro- 
tection" to  himself,  in  case  an  efifort  was  made  to  remove  him 
from  his  seat  as  speaker  of  the  house.  In  the  present  case 
I  understand  that  a  majority  of  the  members  were  dissatisfied 
with  his  partial  and  arbitrary  rulings,  whereby  he  essayed  to 
gag  the  will  of  the  house.  Hence  they  had  decided  to  re- 
move him  by  a  two-thirds  vote,  and  he  therefore  made  a  re- 
quisition upon  the  governor  for  the  Dakota  cavalry  to  "pro- 
tect" him  in  holding  his  seat  against  the  will  of  the  house. 

The  council,  which  is  the  balance-wheel  of  the  legislature. 

took  the  matter  in  hand,  and  forthwith  sent  a  committee  to 

the  governor,  "demanding"  what  object  he  had  in  sending 

an  armed  force  to  the  floor  of  the  house  of  representatives. 

5 


66  PIONEKR  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS. 

They  reported  to-ciay,  stating  that  the  governor  had  sent  his 
soldiers  there  upon  the  requisition  "of  one  S.  M.  Pinney," 
wlio  liad  "cowardly  and  scandalously"  reported  that  he  feared 
outside  violence  from  the  people.  The  report  was  spread  at 
length  upon  the  journals.  No  one  was  shot  or  stabbed  with 
bayonets.  All  that  was  done,  the  ''grand  army"  marched  up 
and  then  marched  down  again — to  their  quarters,  where  they 
belonged.  Mr.  Pinney  has  since  resigned,  and  J.  L.  Tiernan 
has  been  elected  in  his  place.     All  is  quiet. 

It  is  thought  that  the  house  will  now  go  to  work  and  re- 
deem its  standing.  It  has  done  nothing  thus  far  but  meet, 
quarrel  and  adjourn.  The  members  of  the  house  all  lack 
that  coolness  and  deliberation  of  action  requisite  for  good 
legislators.     A  man  is  not  known  until  he  is  put  to  the  test. 

The  council  is  already  far  along  in  the  business  of  the  ses- 
sion, and  will  be  ready  to  adjourn  before  the  expiration  of  the 
sixty  days.  !\[r.  Shober  makes  an  excellent  presiding  officer, 
and  Judge  Tufts  a  ready  recording  secretary. 


Yankton,  April  13,  1862. 

Since  my  last  letter  nothing  of  note  has  occurred  in  the 
legislature,  save  the  passage  of  the  "nigger  bill"  in  the  coun- 
cil. This  bill  reached  the  house  on  yesterday,  and  was  made 
the  special  order  of  the  day  for  next  Alonday  week,  in  order 
to  give  the  noisy  and  windy  orators  from  Sioux  I-'alls  and 
Bonhomme  an  opportunity  of  making  their  spread-eagle 
speeches.  This  bill  provides  that  any  negro  or  mulatto, 
bond  or  free,  who  comes  into  this  territory,  shall  leave  within 
twenty  days,  or  be  confined  in  the  county  jail  until  such  time 
as  he  shall  consent  to  quit  the  territory. 

A  militia  bill  and  a  bill  for  apportioning  the  representa- 
tion of  the  territory  has  passed  the  council.  Under  the  new 
bill  the  council  will  consist  of  twelve  and  the  house  of  twenty- 
four  members  of  the  legislative  asscmblv.     A  bill  has  also 


PIONEER  IvEGISIvATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS.  67 

passed  fixing-  the  time  of  the  convening-  of  liic  Icgislatnre  on 
the  first  Monday  of  Decenil^er  of  each  year.  The  criminal 
code  is  now  before  the  coimcil.  The  house  jnchciary  com- 
mittee, Armstrong-,  Puett  and  Waldron,  will  report  a  civil 
code  this  week.  The  new  speaker,  Tiernan,  gives  general 
satisfaction,  although  he  is  the  youngest  member  in  the  house. 
There  \\ere  other  competent  men  for  the  position,  but  their 
labors  could  not  be  spared  on  the  floor  of  the  house.  The 
house  is  the  amusing  body,  the  council  the  instructive  one. 

I  happened  to  drop  into  the  representative  hall  a  few 
mornings  since,  during  their  session,  and  there  I  saw  the 
"man  of  waterfalls"  making  a  loud  and  long  speech  on  the 
university  bill,  in  reply  to  the  spread-eagle  orator  from  Bon- 
homme.  Off  on  one  side  sat  the  "cool,  round-headed  mem- 
ber from  Yankton,"  eating  boiled  eggs  with  a  jack-knife,  and 
carelessly  resting  his  brain  during  the  attacks  emanating 
from  his  Sioux  Falls  and  Bonhomme  adversaries.  Soon  the 
vote  came,  and  notwithstanding  the  long  speeches  against 
"round-head's"  bill,  it  was  passed. 

This  is  a  fair  index  of  the  votes  cast  in  the  liouse  from  day 
to  day.  x\fter  the  vote,  on  motion  of  Puett,  the  house  re- 
solved itself  into  committee  of  the  whole  on  the  governor's 
message.  Then  occurred  a  long,  amusing  and  ridiculous 
tirade  on  the  slavery  question,  pending  which  a  motion  pre- 
vailed that  the  committees  "rise  and  report  to  the  house, 
through  speeches  in  the  future." 

Here  I  left  this  body,  and  strolled  away  to  the  council 
chamber.  Let  me  give  you  a  sketch  of  some  of  the  leading 
members.  As  we  enter  the  room,  our  attention  is  attracted 
to  the  little  chubby,  good-looking  man  on  our  left,  who  is 
making  a  somewhat  stirring  speech  touching  the  action  of 
Governor  Jayne  and  Speaker  Pinney,  in  stationing  an  armed 
force  in  the  hall  of  the  house  of  representatives.  This  gen- 
tleman is  the  Hon.  E.  Stutsman  of  this  place,  who  is  called 
the  leading  member  of  the  council.  But  who  is  this  hand- 
some, business-like  man,  who  rises  on  our  right  and  bears 


6S  PIONEER  EEGISEATURES  AND   INDIAN   WARS. 

down  SO  harshly  and  heavily  on  the  governor  of  the  territory? 
This  is  Hon.  D.  T.  Bramble  of  Yankton,  who  has  had  some 
former  experience  in  legislative  matters.  But  here  rises  a 
member  in  front  of  us,  who  essays  to  shield  his  excellency 
and  approve  his  conduct — a  tall,  straight,  moderate  gentle- 
man, with  rather  an  unmeaning  countenance,  and  talks  as 
though  he  might  be  one  of  the  governor's  favorites.  This 
is  Hon.  H.  D.  Betts  of  Vermillion.  And  here,  in  the  aisle 
of  the  chamber  rises  a  slow-spoken,  legal-looking  gentleman, 
who  lifts  his  glasses  from  his  eyes  and  looks  straight  at  the 
presiding  officer,  and  says  he  is  "ready  to  vote  for  the  resolu- 
tion." With  this  said  he  lefsurely  takes  his  seat  again.  Th.s 
gentleman  is  the  Hon.  J.  W.  Boyle  of  Vermillion,  a  member 
of  fair  abilities  and  good  judgment.  But  who  is  that  sharp- 
looking,  attentive  and  gentlemanly  member,  who  sits  in  yon- 
der corner  eyeing  the  president  hke  an  eagle?  That  is  the 
Hon.  J.  Shaw  Gregory  of  the  Fort  Randall  district,  formerly 
Indian  agent,  and  recently  major  in  the  army.  In  him  the 
interests  of  his  constituents  are  well  watched  and  guarded. 
And  here  upon  our  rig"ht  are  Messrs.  Cole,  Brookings  and 
Buel,  who  watch  sharply,  think  much,  and  say  little,  but  ac- 
complish fully  as  much  as  many  of  the  more  talkative  mem- 
bers. 


Yankton,  April  22,  1862. 
To  speak  the  truth,  the  young  capital  city  of  Dakota  is, 
indeed,  a  ''live  burg."  On  every  street  corner  and  in  every 
office,  shop  and  hotel  in  town  is  heard  the  busy  hum  of  many 
voices,  either  of  wise  legislators  discussing  the  afifairs  of 
state  over  wine  and  cards,  or  of  blustering  "Heenanites," 
with  fists  raised  high  in  air,  enforcing  the  "criminal  code." 
Through  all  the  long  nights  the  flickering  lamps  are  seen  in 
the  merr>^  ballroom,  where  moves  "the  beauty  and  chivalry" 
to  the  touches  of  enchanting  music,      \\inc  dinners  and  wine 


PIONEER  LRGISIvATURES  AND   INDIAN  WARS.  .^^9 

suppers,  wine  speeches  and  wine  quarrels,  and  the  hurling 
of  bottles  and  glasses  across  tables  at  the  bleeding  heads  of 
belligerent  councilmen,  is  one  source  of  occasional  amuse- 
ments exhibited  here,  with  a  "free  ticket"  to  spectators. 

I  see  it  stated  in  the  last  Vermillion  Republican  tliat  our 
delegate  in  congress  and  the  ex-speaker,  had  met,  fought  and 
spilt  blood.  No  blood  was  shed  on  that  memorable  occa- 
sion. The  speaker  jumped  from  the  window  and  ran.  as  but 
few  law-makers  could  run. 

But  let  me  now  go  from  the  street  over  to  the  house  of 
representatives.  That  l)ody  is  to-day  discussing  the  ''Nigger 
bill."  which  provides  that  '"no  person  of  color,  bond  or  free. 
shall  reside  upon  the  soil  of  Dakota  territory."  The  gover- 
nor and  officials  of  the  territory,  councilmen,  and  the  ladies 
of  the  city,  are  to-day  to  honor  that  house  with  their  presence. 

We  enter  the  door  of  the  hall,  and  perceive  directly  in 
front  of  us,  at  the  far  end  of  the  room,  standing  upon  a  raised 
platform,  a  very  young,  good-looking-  gentleman,  saying: 
"As  many  as  are  of  the  opinion  that  the  motion  ought  to  pre- 
vail/' etc.  The  motion  is  to  indefinitely  postpone  the  "negro 
bill."  "^    . 

But  hold !  Who  is  this  stifif-haired,  fierce-looking  gentle- 
man who  rises  on  the  floor  and  addresses  the  "speaker?" 
That  is  the  hon.  ex-speaker,  the  imprudent  politician,  who 
essays  to  open  the  bleeding  wound  of  slavery,  and  to  show 
his  loyalty  and  his  silliness  to  the  governor  1)y  saying  that 
"this  bill  is  the  legitimate  offspring  of  four  gallons  of  villain- 
ous whisky,"  and  then,  after  nuich  spouting,  resumes  his  seat. 

But  who  is  this  attentive  and  watchful  member  on  our 
right,  who  rises  and  suggests  the  propriety  of  members  con- 
fining their  remarks  to  the  features  of  the  bill,  rather  than 
indulging  in  personal  attacks  upon  its  originators.  This  is 
the  Hon.  M.  K.  Armstrong  of  Yankton,  a  "conservative 
Democrat." 

But  here  rises  the  dash}  and  dressy  orator  from  "the  land 
of    rocks    and    waterfalls,"  Hon.   S.  P.  ^^'aldron,  a    strong 


70  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS. 

Republican,  who  somewhat  "wades  into  the  member  from 
Yankton" — the  latter  in  the  meantime  receiving-  the  storm 
as  calmly  as  a  summer  shower. 

Between  the  two  members  are  seated,  side  by  side,  the 
Hon.  A.  W.  Pnett  of  Vermillion  and  Hon.  John  Stanage  of 
Yankton,  both  old-line  Democrats,  who  say  little  but  stand 
ready  "to  vote  the  bill  into  the  grave." 

On  our  right,  also,  is  seated,  near  the  lobby,  the  Hon.  L. 
Burg-ess  and  Hon.  J.  Jacobson,  both  of  Vermillion,  and  both 
Republicans.  Thev  are  Norwegians,  and  they  generally  vote 
to  suit  themselves.  They  are  honest  working  members. 
But  let  us  stop. 

The  yeas  and  nays  are  being  called  on  the  "indefinite 
postponement."  "The  yeas  have  it.  and  the  'Negro  bill'  is 
postponed  indefinitely."  sa>-s  the  speaker. 

"A  bill  regulating  marriages"  is  now  taken  up,  but  hark! 
who  is  this  good-looking,  jolly  gentleman  who  rises  imme- 
diately upon  our  left  and,  amidst  a  roar  of  laughter,  moves 
that  the  "bill  be  referred  to  the  conmiittee  on  Internal  Im- 
provements." That  is  the  Hon.  H.  S.  Donaldson,  from  Red 
'River,  and  his  motion  is  carried. 

Upon  his  left  sits  the  Hon.  Bly  W'ood  of  \'ermillion,  who 
laughs  and  votes  and  votes  and  laughs  at  Red  River's  mar- 
velous wisdom  and  foresight. 

Close  by  his  side  is  seated  the  Hon.  J.  C.  McBride  of  Cole 
county,  who  smiles  dubiously  and  looks  in(|uiringly,  as 
though  he  doubted  the  ability  of  the  committee  on  "Internal 
Improvements"  to  perform  the  arduous  duty  assigned  them. 
He  is  one  of  the  committee. 

The  house  now  adjourns,  and  the  day  being  beautiful  and 
spring-like,  legislators,  officials,  ladies  and  "logrollers"  are 
seen  strolling  upon  the  hilltops,  the  plains  and  along  the  river 
sides. 


ptonEKr  ijvC. ist.atmrks  and  i\'])T an  waks.  7' 

Yanktox,  .Xpril  30.  1862. 

The  legislature  is  nearly  llirough  with  its  business  for  the 
present  session.  A  wholesome  civil  and  criminal  code  has 
been  passed,  and  nearly  all  laws  of  a  general  nature  have  been 
enacted  and  approved. 

The  apportionment  bill  has  been  returned  to  the  council 
with  the  governor's  veto ;  which  veto  was  founded  upon  the 
belief  of  his  excellency  that  the  bill  increased  the  representa- 
tion too  much  in  all  the  districts.  Another  bill,  it  is  thought, 
will  be  raised  in  the  council. 

Divorce  bills  are  "all  the  rage"  at  present.  One  of  these 
bills  came  up  in  the  council  last  Monday,  and  was  read  a  first, 
second  and  third  time  and  passed  in  ten  minutes.  Tt  is  be- 
lieved that  the  council  is  composed  entirely  of  "Vlisunionists." 
The  matter  should  be  looked  into  by  the  governor,  and.  if 
true,  their  "pay  should  be  stopped."  Some  rich  letters  are 
read  in  connection  w'ith  these  divorce  bills — in  one  of  which, 
read  to-day,  the  wife  calls  her  husband  "no  better  than  a 
wooden  man."  ' 

The  two  houses  are  yet  sparring  at  each  other.  Party 
politics  have  been  sprung  in  a  tangible  form.  A  bill  prohib- 
iting slavery  and  involuntary  servitude  in  the  territory  has 
been  defeated  in  both  bodies. 

Hon.  Reuben  Wallace  of  Bonhomme,  member  of  the 
house,  was  charged  with  uttering  disloyal  sentiments  while 
on  a  "drink"  with  some  of  his  friends  on  last  Friday,  which 
was  immediately  carried  to  the  ears  of  the  governor,  who 
forthwith  sent  a  message  to  the  secretary  of  the  territory  i)ro- 
testing  against  his  paying  any  further  per  diem  to  Mr.  \\'al- 
lace.  The  house  immediately  took  the  matter  in  question, 
and  appointed  a  committee,  consisting  of  Messrs.  Waldron. 
Armstrong  and  McBride.  to  investigate  the  matter,  with 
po\ver  to  send  for  persons  and  papers.  The  committee  met 
this  afternoon,  in  the  hall  of  the  house  of  representatives,  and 
at  the  request  of  Mr.  Wallace  the  doors  were  thrown  open 
and  the  investigation  made  public.     A  great  gathering-  was 


72  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND   INDIAN  WARS. 

the  consequence,  and  the  hall  was  filled  to  overflowing  with 
earnest  spectators. 

Some  thirty  witnesses  were  brought  upon  the  stand,  and 
the  investigation  was  long,  interesting  and  impartial.  Mr. 
Wallace  came  out  of  the  fiery  ordeal  bright  and  shining;  and 
when  the  old  gentleman  rose,  at  the  close  of  the  scene,  with 
trembling  voice  and  tearful  eyes,  and  said,  "I  have,  in  my 
life,  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance  in  four  different  states  and 
territories  of  the  Union,  and  I  am  now  ready  to  renew  that 
oath  every  morning  and  evening,"  a  burst  of  applause  and 
sympathy  arose  from  the  assembly,  and  all  felt  that  he  had 
been,  wrongfully  and  cruelly  persecuted  for  the  purpose  of 
making  political  capital.  His  loyalty  was  proved  beyond 
suspicion,  and  although  the  committee  did  not  require  a  re- 
newal of  his  oath  of  allegiance,  he  still  insisted  upon  taking 
it,  and  thereupon  voluntarily  appeared  before  the  committee 
for  that  purpose. 

The  whole  affair  sprang  from  the  fact  that  Dr.  Wallace 
is  an  incessant  debater,  and  will  oftentimes,  for  argument 
sake,  take  issue  with  men  for  the  mere  purpose  of  discussing ' 
both  sides  of  the  question.  In  this  instance  he  was  heard  to 
say  that,  "The  war  is  unjust ;  it  was  brought  on  by  Repub- 
licans, and  should  be  fought  by  Republicans:  if  I  were  to 
fight,  I  would  fight  for  the  South."  Immediately  the  gov- 
ernment eavesdroppers  fled  to  the  governor  with  the  cry  of 
"Secessionist!"  And  thereupon  that  well-meaning,  but  be- 
\\aldered  official,  dispatched  his  message  to  the  secretarv. 
Take  it  all  in  all,  the  affair  has  raised  a  great  smoke  from  a 
little  fire,  and  a  strong  stench  on  a  small  matter. 

Yesterday,  at  ten  o'clock,  both  branches  of  the  legislature 
adjourned  to  witness  the  mustering  in  of  the  Dakota  Cavalry 
by  Lieutenant  Luce  of  Fort  Randall.  The  parade  ground 
was  thronged  with  spectators.  The  day  was  delightful,  and 
the  martial  music,  prancing  steeds,  and  glistening  bavonets 
rendered  the  occasion  one  of  life  and  interest.  Previous  to 
taking  the  oath  the  company  were  drawn  up  in  the  form  of 


PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND   INDIAN  WARS.  73 

a  crescent  to  receive  the  address  of  the  governor.  His  re- 
marks were  -thoroughly  patriotic,  and  inspired  the  soldiers 
with  zeal  and  pride  in  behalf  of  their  country.  It  was  a  noble 
sight  to  see  the  uplifted  hands  of  this  brave  company  of  Da- 
kotans,  each  swearing-  to  fight  for  the  Union  and  the  "old 
federal  fiag." 


Yankton,  May  8,  i(S62. 

This  is  the  last  letter  that  you  will  receive  from  "Log- 
roller"  during  the  present  session  of  the  legislature.  The 
two  houses  will  adjourn  sine  die  one  week  from  to-morrow. 
After  the  adjournment  I  will  send  you  "the  last  shot  in  my 
locker,"  and  will  throw  up  the  sponge.  Both  branches  of  the 
"pony  congress"  are  getting  fractious  and  unruly,  each  biting 
and  kicking  at  the  other. 

The  governor,  too,  has  caught  the  bit  in  his  mouth  and 
is  running-  away  with  his  unlimited  veto  power.  Where  he 
will  end  and  what  he  will  gain  is  hung  in  a  cloud  of  mystery. 
Next  September  will  reveal  the  matter,  and  "political  pegs" 
will  begin  to  stick  out. 

Nothing  of  importance,'  I  believe,  remains  to  be  enacted 
in  either  house,  save  the  apportionment  bill.  No  satisfactory 
bill  has  been,  nor  I  think  can  be,  settled  upon  this  session. 
Every  member  has  an  apportionment  bill  in  his  pocket  which 
he  is  anxious  to  have  become  a  law.  The  territory  stands 
greatly  in  need  of  more  representatives  :  the  ]M-esent  ones  find 
themselves  utterly  unable  to  satisfy  their  constituents.  It  is 
thought  that  a  few  more  such  men  could  remedy  the  e\'il. 

.  A  short  but  intense  excitement  prevailed  on  last  I'riday 
and  Saturday,  both  in  and  out  of  the  legislature,  respecting 
the  "General  Half-Breed  T)il!,"  which  passed  the  house  by 
one  vote  and  was  defeated  in  the  council  by  the  same  ma- 
jority. For  the  first  time  during  the  session,  on  Saturday 
morning,  the  governor  was  seen  upon  the  streets  "logrolling" 


74  riOXEKR  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS. 

with  the  conncilmen  on  the  half-breed  bill.  Everybody  was 
scared,  but  nobody  hurt.  The  bill  provided  that  all  mixed 
bloods  who  could  read,  write  or  speak  the  English  language 
should  be  entitled  to  the  right  of  citizenship.  Under  this 
act  the  half-breeds  would  have  outvoted  all  the  rest  of  the 
territory.  Ilence.  delegate  aspirants  and  appendages  were 
on  the  qui  five. 

Outside  chalking  and  peg-driving  has  already  commenced 
on  the  delegate  election  this  fall.  I  have  heard  of  a  dozen 
who  would  consent  to  serve  their  constituents  in  that  ca- 
pacity. 

Our  town  to-da)'  is  thronged  with  distinguished  visitors 
who  are  watching  the  amusing  proceedings  of  the  "pony  con- 
gress." 

The  council  have  adopted  the  very  original  ])]an  of  "con- 
curring in  the  governor's  veto"  to  their  bills.  They  also 
wait  upon  his  excellency  occasionally,  and  inquire  if  he  will 
veto  certain  bills  if  the}-  pass  them.  If  he  says  "Yes,"  they 
immediately  go  back  and  defeat  the  bill.  If  he  says  "No." 
they  pass  it. 

The  district  court  convened  at  this  place  on  yesterday, 
being  the  first  jNIonday  in  May.  Out  of  three  judges  ap- 
pointed for  Dakota,  and  paid  by  the  government  a  salary  of 
eighteen  hundred  a  year  each,  not  one  of  tJieni  zvas  to  be  found 
in  the  territory.  Where  are  they?  They  are  back  in  the 
sta.tes,  where  they  have  been  for  the  last  year,  draw  ing  their 
salaries  as  judges  of  Dakota.  Have  they  gone  to  the  war? 
No,  not  one  of  them.  Are  they  saving  the  Union?  Xot  by 
any  means.  They  are  seated  in  their  eastern  homes,  care- 
lully  bagging  the  government's  dollars. 

-V  real  executive  fist  fight  took  place  last  night,  at  the 
Hotel  d'  Ash,  between  the  governor  and  Hon  Jesse  Wherry, 
late  receiver  of  the  land  office.  1  l;iir  i)u]]ing.  choking,  strik- 
ing, blood  spitting  and  pugilistic  exercises  were  the  order 
which  were  performed  with  grit  and  relish. 


PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN'   WARS.  7  5 

Yanktdn,  May  i<S,  1862. 

The  legislative  assembly  of  Dakota  adjourned  sine  die  on 
Thursday  last,  at  six  o'clock  p.  m.  The  adjournment  was 
not  attended  with  anything-  of  particular  note  or  interest,  as 
all  the  important  business  of  the  session  had  been  closed  up 
in  the  fore  part  of  the  week.  All  bills  in  the  hands  of  the 
executive  were  returned  to  the  two  houses,  approved  or  ve- 
toed, by  seven  o'clock  on  Thursday.  Onl\-  three  bills  have 
been  vetoed  during  the  session,  two  of  which  were  ap]:)ortion- 
ment  bills,  and  the  third  a  bill  regulating  marriages,  all  of 
which  were  more  or  less  defective  in  their  provisions,  and 
needed  vetoing.  No  apportionment  bill  could  be  passed 
which  was  satisfactory  to  all  the  representative  districts: 
hence  the  governor  vetoed  every  bill  of  that  nature  which 
did  injustice  to  any  one  district ;  and,  therefore,  the  represen- 
tation in  the  two  houses  stands  the  same  for  the  next  year, 
increased  only  by  the  Red  River  delegation,  which  will  raise 
the  council  to  ten  members  and  the  house  to  fourteen,  being 
twxnty-seven  members  in  both  branches.  The  representa- 
tion is  high  enough  for  the  present  population  of  the  terri- 
tory. 

One  of  the  most  important  of  the  laws  enacted  during 
the  session  is  one  preventing  Indians  from  entering  upon  the 
ceded  lands  of  the  territoiy  without  a  written  pass  from  their 
agent;  and  any  Indian  found  without  such  pass  may  be  ar- 
rested by  the  county  authorities  and  conveyed  to  his  proper 
reservation,  and  the  expense  incurred  by  such  arrest  is  to  be 
refunded  by  the  United  States  Indian  agent  to  the  county 
making  the  arrest.  This  law  throws  a  safeguard  around  the 
timid  emigrants  who  have  hitherto  been  kept  out  of  the  terri- 
tory through  fear  of  the  red  man's  ghost. 

Another  law  which  will  be  of  vital  importance  to  many 
of  the  industrious  and  embarrassed  laborers  of  the  Kast  is  the 
one  exempting  from  execution  all  property  acquired  within 
the  territory  for  the  satisfaction  of  debts  contracted  out  of 
and  prior  to  the  debtor's  becoming  a  citizen  of  the  territory. 


76  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND   INDIAN  WARS. 

This  will  make  an  asylum  of  Dakota  for  hundreds  of  the  hon- 
est and  hardy  husbandmen  and  mechanics  of  the  states  who 
are  now  laboring-  under  an  unreasonable  burden  of  debts  and 
taxes,  broug.ht  uj)on  them  by  a  series  of  unavoidable  circum- 
stances. 

A  very  important  and  liberal  railroad  bill  has  also  passed 
both  houses  and  become  a  law  of  the  territory.  The  com- 
pany (which  is  styled  the  Missouri  River  and  Niobrarah  Val- 
lev  Railroad  Company)  is  composed  mostly  of  Dakotans, 
who  will  be  likely  to  guard  against  any  "railroad  fraud" 
which  manv  companies  formerly  pahned  ofT  on  the  people  of 
other  territories.  The  charter  extends  for  a  period  of  twenty 
years,  and  all  land  grants  hereafter  to  be  made  to  the  terri- 
tory for  railroad  purposes  are  1)}-  the  provisions  of  this  bill 
placed  under  the  immediate  control  of  the  company.  The 
bill  could  not  pass,  and  was  likely  to  be  defeated,  until  the 
company  stopped  their  wheels  and  took  on  a  full  load  of  pas- 
sengers, consisting  of  all  the  members  of  both  houses.  Then 
the  twenty  years'  charter  went  through  like  the  wind. 

The  governor  and  most  of  the  members  of  the  legislature 
have  now  gone  to  their  homes.  Political  figurers  are  map- 
ping the  ground  for  the  September  canvass.  Campaigning, 
electioneering  and  cam})ing  out  in  the  streets  was  the  order 
of  exercises  carried  out  by  some  members  of  both  houses  dur- 
ing the  last  nights  of  the  session.  For  three  nights  before  the 
adjournment  camp-fires  could  be  seen  in  the  streets  from 
dusk  till  daylight,  around  which  was  seated,  wig-wam  style, 
an  electioneering  party  of  councilmen  and  representatives, 
all  happily  drinking,  smoking,  eating,  singing,  snoring, 
speech-making  and  milking  cows.  T  ha])pened  to  cross  the 
street  one  morning  at  the  peep  of  day,  and  there  T  beheld, 
around  a  smouldering  camp-fire,  two  lusty  legislators  hold- 
ing a  kicking  cow  by  the  horns,  and  a  third  one  pulling  his 
full  weight  upon  her  horizontal  tail.  On  each  side  of  the 
milklcss  heifer  sat  two  councilmen  flat  u])on  their  unfailing 
foundations,  with  jiails  in  hand,  making  sorrowful  and  vain  at- 


PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND   INDIAN  WARS.  17 

tempts  at  teasing  milk  enough  from  the  farrow  (luadruped 
for  their  final  pitcher  of  "egg-nog."  Off  on  one  side  lay  a 
corpulent  representative,  sprawled  upon  his  belly  and  con- 
vulsed with  laughter.  And  there  in  front  of  the  scene  stood 
another  eloquent  law-maker,  with  hat,  coat  and  boots  off, 
making  a  military  speech,  and  appealing  to  the  sympathies 
of  the  cow,  in  behalf  of  her  country,  to  give  down. 

To-day  the  town  is  quiet,  and  is  likely  to  remain  so,  and 
perhaps  I  shall  have  nothing  further  to  write  you  for  some 
weeks.  In*  my  letters  I  have  aimed  to  write  nothing  but 
truth,  and  if  some  have  been  nettled  by  a  close  application 
of  facts,  their  fault  is  all  their  own,  not  mine.  The  acts  of 
public  men  should  be  public  talk.  I  now  throw  up  the 
sponge,  retire  from  the  ring,  and  extend  to  all  my  hand. 


Yankton,  July  i,  1862. 

Our  territory  begins  to  put  on  her  robe  of  brightness. 
Farmers  are  joyous  over  their  prosperous  fields,  which  prom- 
ise a  bountiful  harvest.  The  roads  are  lined  with  immigrant 
teams,  and  our  green  hills  and  plains  are  covered  with  the 
droves  of  cattle  of  new  home-seekers.  On  every  hand,  by 
almost  every  grove  and  brookside,  can  be  seen  the  smoke 
arising  from  the  newl3^-erected  claim  cabin  of  some  hardy 
immigrant  who  has  come  to  open  a  farm  under  the  home- 
stead act.  This  law  is  a  god-send  to  Dakota,  and  from  its 
effects,  in  less  than  two  years,  the  whole  Missouri  valley  will 
ring  with  the  clatter  of  invincible  enterprise.  Nowhere  in 
the  West  are  more  desirable  farming  lands  to  be  found  than 
along  the  valley  of  this  stream.  Little  or  no  immigration 
has  as  yet  ascended  the  valley  beyond  Fort  Randall,  above 
which  point  there  are  tens  of  thousands  of  acres  of  timber 
and  well-watered  prairie  lands  yet  unclaimed. 

The  Dakota  cavalry  have  been  placed  under  the  control 
of  the  governor,  and  are  being  stationed  at  different  points 


/S  PIONEER  IvEGISIvATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS. 

in  the  territory  to  check  the  inroads  of  inarandin,^-  hands  of 
Indians.  This  wih  greatly  facilitate  the  settlement  of  the 
territory. 

The  annual  payment  of  the  Yanktons  took  place  at  their 
agency,  last  week.  They  manifested  a  great  deal  of  dissat- 
isfaction at  the  amount  they  received,  claiming  fifteen  dollars 
per  head,  and  getting  about  five  dollars.  Their  head  chief 
finally  concluded  in  council  that  "it  was  better  for  them  to 
take  what  was  left  than  to  let  their  white  father  [the  agent] 
steal  the  whole." 

The  surveyor  general  has  arrived  with  his  imported  horde 
of  -Michigan  and  Illinois  voters,  and  has  sent  them  to  work 
in  the  valley  of  the  Big  Sioux,  and  is  feeding  them  with  sur- 
veying contracts  to  the  tune  of  $4,000.  Teamsters  and  cooks 
were  even  imi:)orted  from  the  states  and  paid  twenty-five 
dollars  per  month,  in  preference  to  hiring  men  in  the  terri- 
tory;  and  why?  Simply  because  i\Jichigan  cooks  and  team- 
sters, who  are  to  stay  here  but  three  months,  will  vote  to  suit 
their  employers,  while  Dakotans  desire  to  vote  for  the  inter- 
ests of  their  territory.  Last  year  $6,000  was  paid  by  the 
surveyor  general  into  the  hands  of  his  Michigan  and  Illinois 
friends  and  was  carried  out  of  the  territory.  This  season 
these  same  leeches  return,  and  are  fatted  with  a  contract  of 
$4,000,  to  the  exclusion  of  every  resident  surveyor  in  the  ter- 
ritory. Is  this  right?  Is  it  Republican?  Is  this  the  man- 
ner in  which  our  government  intends  to  make  friends  and 
admirers?  Yet  this  is  done  by  honest,  economical,  sympa- 
thizing officials — men  who  can  weep  like  crocodiles  over  the 
condition  of  the  "poor  negro,"  while  their  own  thieving 
hands  are  thrust  into  the  pockets  of  every  taxpayer  in  the 
territory ;  men  who  cry  "Loyalty  to  the  Union !"  and  at  the 
same  time  are  running  to  the  north  pole  to  escape  a  rebel's 
bullet. 

The  tutored  organ  of  the  otiicials  at  Yankton  is  weekly 
opening  its  assaults  upon  our  present  delegate  for  not  at- 
tending to  the  "interests  of  the  jieople."     Yes,  the  "people," 


PIONKER   IJvGISIvATURES  AND  INDIAN'   WARS.  79 

the  "dear  people,"  all  at  once,  we,  the  "people"  hold  a  dear 
place  in  the  affections  of  our  truant  and  aspiring  oflicials. 
But  the  people  know  their  business,  and  they  know  by  whoni 
they  have  been  well  treated.  They  know,  too,  that  not  a 
government  official  has  built  a  house,  fenced  a  lot,  or  ex- 
pended $200  in  the  territory  since  its  organization.  How- 
ever, some  of  them  occasionally  have  the  nerve  and  daring 
to  take  their  families  and  cross  the  line  of  Iowa — venture  into 
the  territory — then  hastilv  return  to  the  states  to  snivel  about 
the  slow  growth  of  towns,  the  lack  of  enterprise  in  the  peo- 
ple, and  the  "isolation  from  dear  society  on  the  frontier." 

Not  many  years  ago  the  wife  of  Governor  Ramsey,  of 
one  of  our  western  territories,  was  living  in  a  small  cabin, 
and  at  the  same  time  was  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  ac- 
complished ladies  in  the  Northwest.  Are  our  officials  too 
proud,  too  good,  or  too  rich  to  live  with  us?  Do  they  think 
that  the  pioneers  of  the  West  were  born  full-grown  and  wild 
upon  the  plains,  and  must .  therefore  bow  at  the  dash  of 
broadcloth  and  the  swell  of  dignity,  and  set  to  and  build 
houses  and  donate  property  to  induce  salaried  officials  to 
enter  the  territory  in  the  discharge  of  their  duty?  If  they 
need  houses,  let  them  build  them ;  if  they  want  property,  let 
them  buy  it.     They  have  money,  we  have  none. 

We  have  labored  hard  for  the  last  three  years  to  secure 
our  little  homesteads,  and  now  live  by  what  we  can  earn  and 
raise.  Somebody  must  set  the  example  for  immigration,  and 
plant  the  germs  of  civilization  in  the  wilderness,  and  we  know 
of  none  upon  whom  the  duty  falls  more  directly,  or  who  are 
better  paid  to  discharge  that  duty,  than  the  officials  of  our 
territory. 


INDIAN    PANIC. 


Yankton,  Sept.  2;^,  1862. 
Since  my  last  letter  Dakota  has  been  swept  with  a  whirl- 
wind of  excitement.     Immediately  upon   the  heels  of    the 


80  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN   WARS. 

bloody  rumors  from  Minnesota,  came  the  news  of  the  mur- 
der of  two  men  in  the  vicinity  of  Sioux  Falls,  and  soon  there- 
after followed  the  still  more  alarming  report  that  the  Yank- 
tons  were  rising  in  arms,  and  were  moving  down  in«force  to 
burn  the  settlements  and  butcher  the  inhabitants.  Added 
to  this,  like  fuel  to  fire,  at  noon  of  next  day,  down  came  our 
delegated  committee  on  their  return  from  the  Yanktons  and 
stated  that  "Mad  Bull"  had  informed  them  that  there  were 
500  warlike  Santees  in  our  immediate  neighborhood,  and 
that  we  were  in  danger  of  being  attacked  every  liour.  The 
Yanktons  had  declared  their  neutrality  between  the  whites 
and  Santees;  but  would  unite  with  the  whites  if  we  were 
sure  to  conquer.  At  this  report  the  people  stood  aghast, 
and  for  awhile  the  scales  of  fate  hung  trembling  between  fear 
and  courage — to  flee  or  fight.  A  vote  was  soon  taken,  and 
it  was  decided  to  stand  and  meet  the  attack.  Our  fortifica- 
tions were  but  half  finished,  but  there  was  soon  at  work  a 
force  of  fifty  men,  with  spades,  axes,  teams,  etc.,  and  before 
night  we  had  erected  breastworks,  inclosing  about  five  acres 
of  ground  and  seven  buildings,  in  which  had  assembled  all 
the  families  in  the  comity.  The  detachment  of  the  cavalry 
company  stationed  at  this  place,  comprising  about  forty  sol- 
diers, had  moved  their  camp  inside  the  fortifications,  and  that 
night  our  strength  comprised  a  force  of  about  150  men,  with 
arms,  ammunition,  and  a  small  cannon,  loaded  with  grape 
or  trade  shot.  .V  guard  of  twenty-four  men  was  stationed 
around  the  inclosure,  and  a  mounted  picket  guard  was  all 
night  scouting  on  the  neighboring  hills.  The  long  night 
wore  away  with  fear  and  anxiety  to  the  many  sleepless  women 
and  children  thrown  together  in  the  fortification,  and  when 
the  red  morning  flushed  the  East,  and  the  watchword  came 
in  from  the  faithful  sentinels  that  no  Indian  had  been  seen 
during  the  night,  all  breathed  free  and  thankful. 

Since  then — some  two  weeks  ago — not  a  man  has  been 
shot  at,  not  an  ox  or  a  pig  killed,  or  a  house  or  stack  burned 
by  the  Indians  in  the  territory,  with  the  exception  of  three 


PIONEER  LKGISLATURES  AND   INDIAN   WARS.  ^^ 

buildings  at  Sioux  Falls,  which  were  fired  after  the  four  fam- 
ilies and  cavalry  detachment  of  that  place  had  been  gone 
from  the  town  a  week  and  had  arrived  safely  at  Yankton. 

Nearly  all  the  farmers  in  this  county  have  left  the  fortifi- 
cation and  removed  back  on  their  premises,  and  they  now 
complain,  not  so  much  of  the  Indians,  as  of  the  depredations 
of  the  roaming-  squads  of  cavalry  scouts  committed  on,  their 
fields  and  gardens,  and  pigs  and  chickens  and  fences.  Rails 
are  used  for  firewood,  chickens  are  bagged  by  the  sackfull ; 
corn,  potatoes  and  vegetables  are  confiscated  for  Uncle  Sam's 
use  as  freely  as  though  the  Dakota  farmers  were  considered 
rebels  against  the  government.  There  are  some  true  and 
plucky  soldiers  here,  but  many  of  them  are  very  courageous 
where  no  courage  is  needed;  and  the  farmers  have  taken 
advantage  of  this,  and  whenever  they  now  wish  to  frighten 
the  soldiers  out  of  their  cornfields  and  gardens  they  mount 
upon  some  adjacent  hilltop,  give  the  red  man's  warwhoop 
and  shake  an  Indian  blanket;  and  in  less  than  ten  minutes 
there  is  not  a  cavalryman  left  on  the  premises. 

We  look  for  no  serious  Indian  troubles  in  Dakota  this 
fall  or  winter,  but  in  these  times  it  is  wise  to  be  prepared. 
If  the  government  desires  to  retain  the  ceded  portion  of  this 
territory,  and  to  prevent  the  people  from  being  frightened 
out  of  it,  it  should  at  once  make  them  feel  secure,  even  in 
the  absence  of  danger.  The  people  have  already  organized 
themselves  into  militia  companies  for  self-defense,  but  the 
settlers  are  too  poor  and  needy  to  leave  their  crops  unhar- 
vested  for  the  winter,  and  to  stand  by  their  rifles  watching 
for  Indians  till  snow  flies.  Unless  assistance  is  sent  here 
nearly  all  the  families  will  leave  the  territory  before  Novem- 
ber. 

I  would  scarcely  be  believed  were  I  to  tell  you  the  truth 
of  the  conduct,  in  these  trying  times,  of  our  weak-kneed, 
cowardly,  runaway  officials.  To-day  there  is  not  one  of  our 
officials  in  the  territory — men  who  are  drawing  from  the  gov- 
ernment's life-blood  the  pretty  sum  of  twelve  thousand  dol- 

6 


82  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS. 

lars  a  year.  These  brave  and  ''loyal"  dignitaries,  at  the  first 
approach  of  a  red  man,  are  the  first  to  leave  the  country ;  and 
with  such  rapidity  do  they  fly,  pale  and  breathless,  for  the 
states,  that  a  boy  could  play  marbles  on  their  horizontal  coat- 
tails.  And  on  they  go,  governor,  secretary,  judges,  attorney 
general,  clerks,  in  one  wild,  panic-stricken  express  train  of 
"loyal"  officials.  Well,  the  people  became  frightened  and 
looked  for  Indians  and  officials,  but  could  see  nothing  but  the 
vanishing  coat-tails  of  the  latter  disappearing  on  the  far  shore 
of  the  Big  Sioux  river.  Safe  in  Sioux  City,  under  the  protec- 
tion of  four  military  companies  and  a  battery,  these  "loyal" 
officials,  like  rats  in  a  haystack,  stick  their  heads  from  under 
their  wives'  multitudinous  crinoline,  and  whisper,  with  white 
lips.  "Are  they  coming?"  Reason  answered,  "No."  Then 
out  comes  our  gallant  governor  from  his  silken  ambush,  and, 
with  a  military  escort  he  follows  the  mail  stage  to  the  terri- 
torial capital,  and  immediately  issues  a  proclamation.  ofTering 
an  escort  of  cavalry  for  all  families  who  wished  to  leave  the 
territory,  and  prohibiting  all  single  men  from  leaving  at  all. 
Well,  he  waited  two  days  for  somebody  to  get  ready  to  leave, 
and  not  a  family  went.  Then  becoming  impatient  with  fear 
for  his  own  executive  scalp,  he  orders  a  detachment  of  cav- 
alry to  Vermillion,  and  thereupon  issued  passes  to  some  four 
or  five  of  his  friends,  and  then  with  them  he  again  fled  the 
territorv  imder  a  military  escort. 


Yankton.  Nov.  2,  1862. 
Can  I  be  allowed  to  appear  in  your  columns  with  a  bloody 
nose  or  black  eye?     If  not,  I  must  write  less  truth  and  more 
flattery.     The  Dakota  officials  took  my  last  letter  in  high 
dudgeon,  and,  like  Lars  Porsena  of  Clusium — 

"By  the  nine  gods  they  swore. 

That  the  Great  Men  of  Yankton 
Should  suffer  wrong  no  more." 


PIONEER  EEGISEATURES   AND  INDIAN  WARS.  ^?> 

One  of  these  "great  men,"  with  foamino-  anger,  paced  the 
streets  and  swore  that  he  had  never  whipped  bnt  one  man, 
but  must  whip  one  more  before  he  died,  and  that  was  "Log- 
roller."'  Others  bid  high  in  reward  of  gold  for  the  arrest  of 
the  "notorious  scribbler." 

There  is  a  class  of  men  whose  scowls  I  prefer  to  their 
smiles;  and  their  bitterness  to  their  kindness.  I  do  not  hope 
for  their  favors,  but  their  disfavors ;  and  I  know  of  no  reason 
why  a  guilty  great  man  should  be  exempt  from  censtu'e  any 
more  than  the  humblest  peasant. 

It  is  well  known  that  all  officers  of  the  government  have 
an  amount  of  official  patronage  with  which  they  secure  a  class 
of  fellows  who  will  fawn  and  cringe  at  their  feet  without  a 
whine  or  whimper.  But  it  seems  incredible  for  men  who 
profess  to  have  brains  and  talent,  to  talk  of  having  a  highway 
fight  and  bruising  the  bod}^  for  what  the  brain  has  done. 
The  officials  have  the  Dakotan  at  their  command,  with  which 
(if  my  articles  were  false)  they  could  annihilate  them,  with 
credit  to  their  cause  and  lasting  disgrace  to  myself.  T  have 
said  time  and  again  that  if  an  untruth  has  been  uttered,  or 
an  injustice  has  been  done  in  my  letters  to  any  official  in 
Dakota,  I  will  cheerfully  and  publicly  make  the  correction 
on  having  it  pointed  out  to  me  by  the  Dakotan. 

Three  military  companies  are  being  raised  in  the  terri- 
tory, under  the  direction  of  Captains  Tripp,  Fuller  and  Zie- 
bach. The  governor  has  received  bills  of  lading  from  Leav- 
enworth, consigning  to  him  two  brass  six-pound  field  pieces, 
300  muskets  and  about  ten  tons  of  ammunition.  He  is  now 
in  St.  Paul  conferring  with  General  Pope  for  the  purpose  of 
having  three  additional  military  companies  stationed  in  the 
territory  and  a  new  post  built  at  Sioux  Falls  and  one  above 
Fort  Randall.  In  these  efi^orts  the  governor's  action  ife 
praiseworthy,  and  it  is  hoped  he  will  prove  successful  in  his 
undertaking. 

The  official  canvass  of  the  votes  for  delegate  to  congress 
took  place  last  Monday.     Bonhomme  and  Charles  Mix  coun- 


84  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND   INDIAN  WARS. 

ty  returns  were  rejected — the  one  en  account  of  informal 
return,  and  the  latter  for  the  reason  that  the  returns  smell 
too  rank  of  fraud.  In  this  county  132  Republican  votes  were 
thrown  overboard  by  Republican  canvassers.  The  Red 
River  returns  had  not  yet  officially  reached  here.  They  ar- 
rived by  last  night's  mail,  giving  122  for  Todd  and  18  for 
Jayne  But  they  are  too  late  to  be  canvassed,  inasmuch  as 
Jayne  has  his  certificate  by  16  majority.  The  returns,  how- 
ever, will  be  used  by  General  Todd  at  Washington,  and  will 
undoubtedly  secure  him  his  seat.  I  must  confess  that  Judge 
Bliss  and  Secretary  Hutchinson  greatly  surprised  us,  and 
well  near  redeemed  themselves  with  the  people,  by  rejecting 
the  enormous  Republican  frauds  of  Charles  Mix  county. 
Brule  Creek  should  have  been  taught  the  same  lesson  by 
rejecting  its  entire  vote,  and  administering  to  them  a  fitting 
rebuke  for  blackening  the  purity  of  the  ballot  box.  But  the 
canvassers  are  both  aspirants  for  governor,  and  by  issuing  to 
Jayne  a  certificate  for  delegate  to  congress,  the  gubernatorial 
chair  is  vacated,  and  the  field  is  opened  for  all  Republicans 
who  wish  to  be  governor  of  Dakota. 

But  great  men  have  their  objects  and  landmarks,  like 
storm-driven  ships  at  sea.  I  am  content  to  stand  upon  the 
beach  and  keep  my  eye  out  on  the  waters.  Soon  after  my 
last  letter  the  governor  entered  the  territory  with  his  family 
for  the  first  time  since  his  appointment.  God  bless  him? 
Judge  Bliss,  also,  is  digging  a  well  and  laying  a  stone  foun- 
dation for  a  new  house  at  Yankton.  We  know  not  whether 
it  is  to  please  the  people  or  president,  but  it  does  please  us. 


Yankton,  Dec.  8,  1862. 
The  two  branches  of  the  legislative  assembly  of  Dakota 
Territory  convened  in  second  session  at  the  new  capitol  build- 
ing at  Yankton  on  Monday,  the  ist  inst.     The  council  at 
once  organized  by  the  election  of  Enos  Stutsman,  president, 


PIONEER  I.EGISLATURES  AND   INDIAN  WARS.  85 

and  Judge  Tufts,  secretary.  The  lower  house,  or  "fighting 
body,"  was  five  days  effecting  a  permanent  organization. 

Six  out  of  the  fourteen  members  were  contestants,  and 
the  house  sat  six  days  with  only  eight  incumbents  and  six  va- 
cant chairs.  This  body  was  organized  on  Todd  and  Jayne 
principles,  and  the  members  were  arrayed  against  each  other 
in  two  equal  forces,  voting  on  a  tie  of  four  to  four  for  five 
days  in  succession.  All  this  time  the  eight  members  were 
engaged  in  hot  discussions  and  tie  ballots  on  permanent  or- 
ganization, and  deciding  the  fate  of  the  twelve  contestants 
outside  the  bar.  Hon.  A.  J.  Harlan  and  A.  W.  Puett  were 
the  opposing  candidates  for  speaker.  Harlan  was  put  in 
nomination  by  Mr.  Armstrong  of  the  Todd  party,  and  Puett 
was  brought  out  by  M.  Jacobson  from  the  Jayne  force.  On 
the  fifth  day  Mr.  Puett  withdrew  his  name  and  nominated  Mr. 
Armstrong  in  his  stead,  who,  on  the  first  ballot,  received  four 
votes  out  of  the  eight  votes  cast — he  in  the  meantime  voting 
for  Mr.  Harlan,  a  former  congressman  from  Indiana. 

The  contested  seats  have  been  reported  on  by  the  com- 
mittee on  credentials,  and  four  new  members  admitted,  filling 
the  house  to  twelve  representatives.  The  officials  of  the  ter- 
ritory are  in  daily  attendance  at  the  sittings  of  the  house,  with 
eyes  and  ears  open  to  the  investigation  of  the  fraudulent 
elections.  In  every  district  where  fraud  was  committed,  both 
parties  claim  the  majority,  and  in  every  one  of  these  dis- 
tricts there  are  contested  seats.  Some  members  of  the  house 
have  planted  themselves  on  an  immovable  basis  in  opposition 
to  these  frauds,  while  others  are  determined  to  disregard  all 
evidence  and  vote  for  men  by  their  brands  and  ear-marks,  or, 
as  a  member  remarked,  "by  the  chalk  marks  upon  their 
backs." 

No  business  of  note  has  yet  been  transacted  in  either 
house,  and  the  two  bodies  having  not  yet  met  in  joint  con- 
vention, no  message  has  been  received  from  the  governor. 

Militarv  matters  are  quiet,  and  a  band  of  Indians  are  now 
on  a  visit  among  us  to  dance  and  sing. 


86  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS. 

The  young  capital  city  is  all  life  and  animation,  and  pre- 
sents quite  a  different  appearance  from  two  months  ago. 
when  she  stuck  her  stubborn  heels  in  the  earth  and  held  the 
frightened  territory  by  the  horns.  Pecott's  and  Armstrong's 
new  capitol  buildings  planned  by  Secretary  Hutchinson, 
is  a  structure  of  systematic  proportions,  roomy  and  con- 
venient, affording  apartments  under  one  roof  for  the  three 
branches  of  territorial  government — legislative,  judicial  and 
executive.  The  first  chisel  was  struck  upon  the  foundation 
of  this  building  but  seven  weeks  before  the  meeting  of  the 
legislature,  and  yet  the  house  was  in  complete  readiness,  with 
stoves,  tables  and  platforms  arranged,  by  the  first  day  of  the 
session. 


Yankton,  Dec.  9,  1862. 

The  lower  house  has  to-day  broken  up  and  dislodged  it- 
self into  two  distinct  and  antagonistic  bodies.  This  is  the 
ninth  day  that  this  house  has  been  held  under  a  chain  of 
ballots.  For  the  last  two  days  the  Jayne  men  have  been  dis- 
satisfied with  the  rulings  of  the  chair,  deciding  in  one  in- 
stance an  appeal  lost  when  tied  by  his  own  vote,  and  in  an- 
other case  refusing  to  allow  two  of  the  contestants  to  vote 
on  a  call  for  the  previous  question  on  a  snap  resolution  to 
remove  them  from  their  seats.  This  last  decision  was  ruled 
by  the  chair  in  to-day's  proceedings,  whereupon  six  of  the 
twelve  members  rose  and  left  the  hall,  thereby  leaving  the 
house  without  a  quorum,  and  the  body  inunediatcly  ad- 
journed. 

This  afternoon  the  six  seceding  members,  with  three  con- 
testants, assembled  at  the  hall,  and  were  sworn  in  by  the 
governor,  and  effected  a  temporary  organization  bv  the  elec- 
tion of  A.  A\\  Puett  speaker  and  R.  Hagaman  chief  clerk. 

'i'o-night  all  parties  are  comparing  slates  and  figuring  on 
the*  ])r<)blem  to-morrow,  and  upon  the  results  of  the  morning 


PIONEER  LEGISLATURES   AND  INDIAN'   WARS.  ^7 

session  of  the  Todd  assembly.  Strong  efforts  are  being  made 
to  effect  a  compromise  and  to  bring  the  wayward  and  lost 
children  together  in  the  morning.  If  all  members  had  dis- 
carded their  dogged  servitude  to  Todd  and  Jayne  at  the 
opening  of  the  session,  and  had  voted  according  to  merits 
and  evidence  on  the  contested  seats,  the  house  would  have 
been  organized  and  doing  business  eight  days  ago.  At  pres- 
ent, the  governor,  council  and  two  houses  refuse  to  act  in 
concert,  and  ^Yill  not  meet  in  joint  convention  for  the  recep- 
tion of  the  message. 


Yankton,  Dec.  17.  1862. 

Chaos  and  disorder  still  reigns  in  the  halls  of  the  terri- 
torial capitol.  One-third  of  the  session  is  already  wasted  in 
long  speeches,  hot  words  and  fruitless  endeavors  at  compro- 
mise. The  Jayne,  or  official,  branch  of  the  legislature,  daily 
convenes  its  quorum  of  seceders  at  the  old  surveyor  general's 
office,  on  the  levee,  while  the  Todd  branch  continues  to  meet 
at  the  capitol  Imilding  on  the  hill,  under  its  old  organization, 
and  to  act  in  concert  with  the  council  and  secretary,  being 
unrecognized  by  the  governor. 

The  council  and  house. — that  is,  the  house  at  the  capitol, 
— met  in  joint  convention  in  the  representative  hall  on  Wed- 
nesday last  to  receive  the  message  of  the  governor.  A  com- 
mittee, consisting  of  Shober  and  Armstrong,  was  dispatched 
to  his  excellency,  and  received  the  very  plump  reply  that  he 
had  no  communication  to  make  to  the  bodies,  and  that  he 
did  not  recognize  the  house  to  which  Mr.  Armstrong  be- 
longed. The  convention  courteouslv  received  the  replv  and 
dissolved  each  branch  adjourning  to  its  respective  hall. 

The  next  day  the  governor's  message  was  transmitted  to 
the  council,  whereupon  that  body  resolved  itself  into  execu- 
tive session,  listened  to  the  reading  of  the  document,  and 
then  returned  it  to  his  excellency,  accompanied  by  a  resolu- 


88  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND   INDIAN  WARS. 

tion  informing  the  executive  that  the  governor's  message  was 
a  paper  which  must  be  deHvered  to  both  houses  when  in  joint 
convention.  Then  that  high  official  raved,  stamped  and 
swore ;  cursed  the  territory  and  damned  the  people ;  spit  at 
the  council  and  kicked  at  the  house :  and  like  a  wild,  un- 
trained steed,  broke  loose  from  the  machinery  of  the  terri- 
torial government,  and  went  plunging  and  tearing  away  with 
the  fragmentary  wheels  of  a  broken  legislature.  And  what 
was  all  this  for?  T  will  tell  you :  Simply  because  the  house 
refused  to  admit  just  such  men  as  the  g-Qvernor  desired,  and 
preferred  to  act  as  "judge  of  the  qualifications  of  its  own 
members."  Who  ever  heard  of  a  governor  of  a  territory 
making  it  a  condition  that  such  and  such  members  should 
be  admitted  to  seats  in  a  legislature  before  he  would  deliver 
his  message  or  sign  the  bills  passed  by  the  two  branches? 

The  governor's  plan  was  for  the  committee  on  elections 
to  disregard  testimony  and  make  an  even  swap,  by  admitting 
an  equal  number  of  Todd  and  Jayne  men,  thereby  indorsing 
the  frauds  in  each  district  and  giving  him  the  benefit  of  that 
indorsement  in  contesting  his  seat  in  congress.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  Todd  party  pressed  heavily  for  a  fair,  investigation 
of  all  contested  cases,  feeling  confident  that  the  evidence 
would  prove  their  men  fairly  and  legally  elected.  The  action 
of  the  members  was  in  a  great  measure  controlled  by  outside 
influence,  exerted  by  the  attorneys  and  engineers  of  Todd 
and  Jayne,  who  seemed  to  consider  the  representative  hall 
a  gambling  house,  and  the  members  thereof  as  a  pack  of 
cards  with  which  they  could  trump  or  follow  suit  at  their 
pleasure. 

There  is  a  regular  family  fight  among  the  officials,  each 
one  wishing  to  be  on  the  side  of  the  people,  and  each  one 
desiring  to  be  future  governor  or  future  delegate.  Both 
parties  are  led  by  injudicious  leaders,  each  being  reckless  and 
headstrong.  However,  it  may  be  well  for  men  to  bend  a 
little  when  the  life  of  the  territory  hangs  trembling  in  the 
balance.     It  does  seem  strange  that  the  representatives  of 


PIONEER  IvEGISIvATURES  AND   INDIAN  WARS.  ^'J 

the  people  should  be  so  tied  to  the  skirts  of  two  j^rcat  men 
as  to  entirely  ignore  the  welfare  of  the  territory  and  the  in- 
terests of  their  constituents  and  be  used  as  the  cat's  paws  of 
a  delegate  contest  at  a  time  when  the  territory  is  struggling 
for  its  existence. 


Yankton,  Dec.  24,  1S62. 

The  clouds  that  hung  dark  and  threatening  over  the  halls 
of  the  Dakota  legislature  are  broken  and  vanished.  A  bright 
ray  of  compromise  has  fallen  from  a  clear  sky,  and  the  coun- 
cil, house,  governor  and  secretary  are  now  earnestly  at  work 
in  concert  and  harmony.  The  governor's  message  was  de- 
livered to  the  two  houses  in  joint  convention  on  Thursday 
last,  the  seventeenth  day  of  the  session. 

Not  until  the  sixteenth  day  did  the  rebel  members  return 
to  their  seats  in  the  hall,  and  not  until  then  did  the  people's 
house  listen  to  any  compromise,  on  which  day  five  of  the  nine 
councilmen  publicly  declared  their  intention  to  recognize  the 
governor's  house  unless  the  breach  was  healed  on  the  follow- 
ing day.  Until  that  date  the  gulf  which  separated  the  two 
refractory  bodies  had  been  growing  broader,  deeper  and 
darker.  The  people's  house  would  yield  to  no  terms  and 
Hsten  to  no  treaty  with  the  oflicial  house,  until  the  council 
and  secretary  of  the  territory  took  the  matter  in  hand  and 
threatened  the  withdrawal  of  their  support  and  recognition 
unless  the  estranged  bodies  would  join  hands  again  and  ac- 
cept the  olive  branch  of  peace.  Our  nervous,  impulsive  sec- 
retary left  the  house,  refusing  even  to  incur  the  further  ex- 
pense of  supplying  the  members  with  pens  and  writing  paper. 
Then  it  was  that  the  people's  house,  for  the  first  time,  bent 
its  ear  to  the  supplications  of  the  official  house,  and  four  of 
the  seceding  members  only  were  allowed  to  come  back  and 
measure  swords  with  the  ten  members  of  the  other  branch. 
On  the  re-union  of  the  tAvo  branches,  on  the  17th,  Mr.  Har- 


90  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS. 

Ian  resigned  his  position,  and  Mr.  Armstronq-  was  imani- 
mously  elected  speaker  of  the  house.  B.  M.  Smith  also 
resigned  the  position  of  chief  clerk,  and  R.  Hagaman  was 
reinstated  in  his  place. 

The  house  on  the  same  day  expunged  from  its  journals 
that  portion  covering  the  admission  of  Sommers  and  Ken- 
nerlv,  and  admitted  in  lieu  thereof  Frisby  and  Pease,  thereby 
filling-  the  house  to  its  full  number  of  fourteen  members.  It 
will  be  remembered  that  Sommers  and  Kennerly  were  ad- 
mitted on  the  day  after  the  seceders  withdrew,  and  were 
sworn  in  for  the  purpose  of  filling  up  a  quorum  to  proceed 
to  business.  The  house  is  now  fairly  filled  with  legally 
elected  members.  The  following  is  a  list  of  members  that 
compose  the  house :  Armstrong,  Buckman,  Bothem,  Don- 
aldson, Frisby,  Gifford,  Johnson,  Jacobson,  Harlan,  Larson, 
Puett,  Pease.  Wallace  and  \\^aldron.  Eight  of  the  members 
belong  to  the  organized  house  who  remained  at  the  capitol 
building  and  held  their  daily  sessions  during  the  reign  of 
terror,  while  the  other  six  belong  to  the  returned  sheep  of 
the  governor's  flock. 

Everything  in  town  looks  brighter,  and  everybody  feels 
better  and  steps  quicker,  since  the  wheels  of  the  legislature 
have  got  in  motion,  and  the  secretary's  checks  of  "promise 
to  pav  on  demand"  are  in  lively  circulation  on  the  streets, 
and  are  taken  as  very  acceptable  currency  at  the  boarding 
houses,  saloons,  etc. 

I  never  before  knew  a  territorial  legislature  to  arrive  so 
near  the  brink  of  destruction  and  still  be  saved,  as  has  been 
the  case  with  the  Dakota  legislature  for  the  last  three  weeks. 
The  burning  wrath  of  the  entire  official  force  of  the  territory, 
with  one  exception,  was  arrayed  upon  one  side,  and  the  stern, 
bold  will  of  the  people  on  the  other,  and  like  the  towering, 
grim-faced  giants  in  battle,  each  would  rather  be  victorious 
and  die  than  to  be  defeated  and  live. 

The  governor  has  gone  above  in  company  with  General 
Cook,  to  examine  the  condition  of  Indian  affairs.      A  portion 


PIONEER  LEGISI.ATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS.  9' 

of  the  troops  comprisino-  the  miHtary  expedition  to  Fort 
Pierre  has  returned,  bringing-  with  them  the  wliite  prisoners 
captm'ed  in  Minnesota. 

Cjeneral  Todd,  our  delegate  in  congress,  is  this  session 
devoting  his  whole  time  and  attention  to  the  interest  of  Da- 
kota at  Wasliington,  and  through  his  untiring  efforts  in  our 
behalf  we  feel  that  our  wants  will  be  well  represented  to  the 
general  government. 

Candidates  for  governor  this  week  are  thicker  than  fleas 
in  a  sandbar,  and  are  circulating  papers  of  reconnncndation 
among  the  members  for  signatures.  Judge  Bliss,  Secretary 
Hutchinson  and  N.  Edmunds  of  the  surveyor  general's  office 
are  the  leading  candidates  in  the  number  of  signatures.  They 
all  expect  that  Governor  Jayne  will  receive  and  hold  his  seat 
in  congress,  and  they  each  likewise  expect  to  be  the  favored 
one  to  fill  the  vacant  gubernatorial  chair. 


Yankton,  Dec.  30,  1862. 
All  is  quiet  and  harmony  at  the  territorial  capitol.  The 
two  branches  of  the  legislature  are  forwarding  business  with 
true  parliamentary  dispatch.  The  house,  which  at  my  last 
advice,  was  far  behind  the  council  in  the  business  of  the  ses- 
sion, has  already  arrived  close  upon  the  heels  of  that  body, 
and  now  promptly  clears  the  clerk's  table  of  all  bills  and  mes- 
sages received  from  the  council  during  the  day.  Several 
important  bills  are  under  way,  among  which  I  notice  the  old 
notorious  "Apportionment  Bills."  Mr.  Harlan  has  intro- 
duced one  of  these  "critters,"  which  gives  to  his  own  county 
(Clay)  one-fourth  of  the  entire  legislature.  This  is  a  very 
modest  grab  for  the  "County  of  Stampede,"  which  at  the 
time  of  the  Indian  excitement,  disgorged  itself  upon  the 
neighboring  islands  of  Nebraska  and  the  borders  of  Towa. 
leaving  but  four  solitary  souls  in  the  county.  By  this  bill 
Yankton  county,  to  which  may  be  justly  awarded  the  credit 


92  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND   INDIAN  WARS. 

of  Standing  firm  and  saving  the  territory  in  the  time  of  peril, 
is  allowed  two-thirds  as  many  members  as  the  "County  of 
Stampede." 

A  new  criminal  and  justices'  code  are  under  consideration 
in  the  council ;  also,  several  other  very  important  bills,  of 
which  T  will  speak  when  passed. 

Outside  of  the  legislature  the  city  is  as  busy  as  life;  the 
hotels  are  crowded,  merchants  are  trading,  farmers  are  mar- 
keting, ladies  are  chatting  and  skipping  from  street  to  street, 
purchasing  ribbons  or  rings  for  the  next  ball,  or  the  next 
''surprise  party."  Divine  service  is  held  every  Sabbath  at 
the  capitol  building  by  the  chaplains  of  the  house  and  coun- 
cil. Revs.  Hoyt  and  Paine.  On  Christmas  the  town  was 
tight,  though  I  saw  but  one  fight,  which  was  between  a  Todd 
man  and  Jayne  man.  On  the  second  round  the  Todd  man 
threw  up  the  sponge,  and  the  Javne  man  broke  his  thumb. 

Now  let  us  go  to  the  council  chamber,  and  see  what  they 
are  doing.  We  enter  the  hall  door,  and  ascena  the  stairs, 
where,  upon  reaching  the  landing,  we  are  shown  to  a  back  seat 
by  the  sergeant-at-arms..  In  front  of  us,  at  the  far  end  of  the 
chamber,  on  a  raised  platform,  sits  the  president,  a  very  plain, 
pleasant,  impartial  gentleman,  who  taps  his  rule  lightly  upon 
the  table  and  says.  "The  secretary  will  proceed  to  read  the  jour- 
nal," w^hereupon  the  members  become  as  attentive  as  though 
they  were  listening  to  the  ticking  of  a  clock.  That  is  the  Hon. 
Enos  Stutsman,  of  Yankton,  by  profession  a  lawyer  and 
Democrat.  But  who  is  this  sharp-looking,  black-eyed  gen- 
tleman, who  is  immediately  upon  our  left,  and  submits  a 
series  of  reports  from  the  committee  on  judiciary?  This  is 
the  Hon  John  H.  Shober  of  Bonhomme,  the  most  active  and 
laborious  man  in  the  council.  By  his  side,  and  at  the  same 
desk,  sits  the  Hon.  Jacob  Deuel  of  Clay  county,  one  of  the 
most  punctual  and  faithful  members  in  the  body.  But  who 
is  that  at  the  next  table,  who  rises  and  stands  leaning  upon 
his  cane  to  address  the  president,  with  a  report  from  the  com- 
mittee on  federal  relations,  to  wdiom  has  been  referred  the 


PIONKER  LEGlSIvATURJCS  AND   INDIAN  WARS.  93 

governor's  message?  This  is  Hon.  W.  W.  Brookings  of 
Sioux  Falls,  and  he  accomi)anies  his  report  with  (|uite  a 
severe  and  cutting  speech  upon  the  action  of  his  colleague  in 
the  lower  house,  who  has  sneered  at  the  message  as  "un- 
worthy of  notice."  By  his  side  sits  the  Hon.  John  W.  Boyle 
of  Cole  county,  a  man  9f  the  best  judgment,  clearest  head, 
and  coolest  action  of  any  member  on  the  floor.  But  hark ! 
there  rises  a  gentleman  away  in  the  corner  of  the  hall,  at  the 
left  of  the  president,  as  chairman  of  the  committee  on  finance, 
which  is  the  most  important  committee  in  the  council.  After 
submitting  his  morning  reports  this  gentleman  states  to  the. 
president  in  a  jocular  vein  that  he  desires  to  introduce  a 
divorce  bill,  and  that  he  "holds  in  his  hand  an  instrument  for 
the  felief  of  the  unfortunate  woman,"  and  begs  the  consent 
of  the  council  to  present  it.  Judge  Tufts,  the  virtuous  sec- 
retary, bites  his  lips  and  files  the  bill  for  its  second  reading. 
The  gentleman  who  has  just  had  the  floor  is  the  Hon.  D.  T. 
Bramble,  who  is  the  most  bold,  outspoken,  independent  mem- 
ber in  the  body,  and  who  works  with,  if  not  leads,  the  ma- 
jority of  the  council.  At  the  same  table  is  a  vacant  chair, 
the  seat  of  Hon.  J.  S.  Gregory  of  the  Fort  Randall  district, 
chairman  of  the  committee  on  military  affairs,  who  is  now 
absent  on  business  to  the  Ponca  agency.  At  the  next  desk 
on  our  right,  and  the  last  one  in  the  chamber,  are  seated  two 
gentlemen,  the  one  of  which  is  the  oldest,  and  the  other  the 
best  looking  man  in  the  council.  The  one  is  a  perfect,  in- 
imitable wit,  and  is  the  life  and  pride  of  the  assembly;  the 
other  is  a  shrewd,  silent,  attentive  scrutinizer  of  all  the  min- 
utes of  the  proceedings  of  the  body.  The  one  is  the  chair- 
man of  the  committee  on  agriculture ;  the  other  of  internal 
improvements.  The  first  gentleman  is  the  Hon.  A.  Cole  of 
Cole  county;  the  second  is  James  MrFetridge  of  Red  River. 
From  here  we  descend  the  stairs,  and  passing  through  a 
small  anteroom  we  enter  the  main  hall  of  the  house  of  rep- 
resentatives, which,  as  usual,  is  crowded  in  every  nook  and 
corner  with  eager  spectators,  logrollers  and  of^cials.     We 


94  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS. 

hunt  our  way  to  a  seat  on  the  woodbox  in  the  corner  of  the 
hall,  and  now  we  behold  upon  the  stage  in  front  of  us  the 
speaker,  a  small,  active  gentleman,  standing  and  repeating 
the  words — "As  many  as  are  of  opinion  that  the  bill  should 
pass  will  say  aye,"  etc.  That  is  the  Hon.  M.  K.  Armstrong, 
of  Yankton.  By  his  side  sits  the  reporter  and  chaplain  of 
the  house.  Rev.  J.  S.  Paine. 

At  the  first  table  to  the  right  of  the  speaker  are  seated 
the  two  polite  and  gentlemanly  members  from  Red  River, 
the  Hon.  H.  S.  Donaldson  and  Hon.  J.  Y.  Buckman,  two 
of  the  most  esteemed  members  of  the  assembly.  On  the 
same  side  of  the  hall  are  seated,  at  one  desk,  the  Bonhomme 
delegation,  the  Hon.  C.  Gifford  and  Hon.  R.  M.  Johnson, 
who  fought  long  and  hard  for  their  contested  seats  during 
the  first  ten  days  of  the  session.  They  are  now  attentive  and 
industrious  members.  But  who  is  this  tall,  raw-boned  Yan- 
kee, who  rises  with  his  fists  in  his  pockets,  and  thunders  out 
at  the  top  of  his  voice,  "Mr.  Speaker!"  and  then  follows  with 
a  loud,  fierce  speech,  lashing  everybody  and  everything? 
This  is  the  Hon.  S.  P.  Waldron  of  Sioux  Falls,  the  man  who 
represents  the  land  of  rocks  and  Indians : 

"From  whose  bourn  no  traveler  returns." 

He  is  a  fair  lawyer.  By  his  side  is  seated  Hon.  F.  D.  Pease, 
from  the  notorious  county  of  Charles  Mix,  where  the  enor- 
mous frauds  were  committed  on  the  delegate  question.  ]\Ir. 
Pease  was  three  weeks  contesting  his  seat  in  the  house  be- 
fore it  was  finally  decided  in  his  favor.  He  is  a  quiet  mem- 
ber, and  an  independent  voter.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the 
hall,  and  directly  in  front  of  us,  are  seated  the  Norway  mem- 
bers, Bothun,  Jacobson  and  Larson,  who  are  as  still  as  the 
grave,  and  seldom  utter  a  syllable,  except  in  answer  to  the 
call  of  the  roll,  when  they  respond  in  rotation,  "aye,"  "aye," 
"aye,"  or  "no,"  "no,"  "no."  They  are  true  to  their  constit- 
uents. But  who  is  that  large,  portly  member  who  rises  yon- 
der on  the  left  of  the  speaker,  and  proceeds  with  a  somewhat 


PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS.  95 

lengthy  but  well-delivered  speech  on  the  matter  before  the 
house,  to-wit,  the  Banking  Bill?  That  is  Hon.  A.  J.  Harlan 
of  Clay  county,  ex-speaker  of  the  house,  and  formerly  mem- 
ber of  congress  from  Indiana.  He  is  the  leading  member 
upon  the  floor.  At  the  same  table  is  seated  Hon.  N.  J. 
Wallace  of  Cole  county,  one  of  the  most  useful  and  reliable 
members  of  the  body,  and  one  of  whom  Cole  county  may 
well  feel  proud.  And  who  is  that  tall,  dark,  southern-look- 
ing gentleman  farther  down  in  the  corner  of  the  hall,  who 
rises  and  calls  the  ex-speaker  to  order  for  speaking  against 
time  and  not  to  the  question?  That  is  Hon.  A.  W.  Puett 
of  Clay  county,  the  best  parliamentarian  on  the  floor  of  the 
house, 


Yankton,  Jan.  6,  1863. 

This  is  the  last  of  my  letters  for  the  present  session.     The 
legislature  will  adjourn  sine  die  on  Friday,  the  9th  inst.,  after, 
which  I  will  send  you  a  letter  embracing  the  closing  scenes 
and  labors  of  the  two  houses. 

Nothing  of  interest  has  occurred  since  my  last  advice,  ex- 
cept the  report  of  the  committee  on  elections,  admitting  Mr. 
Somers  of  Cole  county  to  the  seat  formerly  occupied  by  Mr. 
Frisby. 

The  house  is  now  holding  two  sessions  a  day,  and  is  rap- 
idly drawing  its  business  to  a  close.  Divorce  bills  and  ap- 
portionment bills  are  occupying  much  of  the  time  of  the  law 
makers  of  the  lower  house.  To  see  the  divorce  bills  pre- 
sented it  would  seem  that  half  the  women  this  side  of  hades 
were  tired  of  their  husbands  and  wished  to  marry  the  Dakota 
legislature.  One  of  these  precious  creatures  sets  forth  in 
her  petition  that  her  husband  is  given  to  "habitual  drunken- 
ness";  another,  to"habitual  sleeping  and  snoring";  while  a 
third  one  avers  the  want  of  "natural  affinity,"  and  the  fourth 
one  states  that  her  husband 

"Hast  learned  to  love  another, 
And  her  heart  is  lonely  now." 


96  PIONEER  LEGISI.ATURES  AND   INDIAN  WARS. 

General  Cook  has  not  yet  returned  from  the  upper  coun- 
try. The  Iowa  company,  c|uartered  at  this  place  has  been 
ordered  to  Fort  Randall.  It  is  said  that  5.000  troops  will 
be  sent  into  the  territory  before  May.  Major  Galpin  of  the 
fur  com])any  reports  that  unless  troops  are  ordered  to  Fort 
Randall  by  April  we  may  look  for  an  avalanche  of  Indian 
warriors  from  the  Upper  Mi.ssouri  early  in  the  spring. 

Mr.  Galpin  has  started  on  his  long  and  dangerous  journey 
to  Fort  Benton ;  but  if  on  arriving  at  Fort  Pierre  he  encoun- 
ters deep  snows  and  large  bodies  of  redskins  it  is  his  inten- 
tion to  return  immediately  to  St.  Louis  and  report  the  state 
of  affairs  to  the  headquarters  of  the  company,  in  order  that 
they  may  delay  their  boats  in  the  spring  until  the  g'overnment 
orders  troops  into  the  valley^ of  the  Upper  Missouri. 

A  very  important  bill  has  been  ])assed  incorporating  the 
"Racine  and  Armain  Mining  and  Transportation  Company," 
with  ]\Ir  Galpin  at  its  head,  backed  by  a  list  of  wealthy  St. 
Louis  merchants  and  bankers,  "for  the  purpose  of  building  and 
chartering  steamboats,  packing  furs,  digging  minerals,  etc.," 
and  for  the  general  transportation  of  trade  and  travel  on  the 
Upper  ^Missouri.  The  general  headquarters  of  the  company 
will  be  made  in  the  territory,  at  the  capitol  for  the  present, 
at  which  place  the  company  will  open  in  the  spring  a  general 
forwarding,  commission  and  banking  house. 

Mr.  Galpin  states  that  within  180  miles  of  his  present  post 
(Fort  La  Barge)  there  are  now  1,500  men  making  from  five 
to  twenty  dollars  per  day  by  digging  gold  on  the  forks  of 
Wind  river.  These  men  mostly  came  over  the  mountains 
from  the  Pacific  shore,  in  California  and  Oregon. 

At  Fort  La  Barge  there  is  a  large  saw  and  grist  mill,  from 
which  the  miners  procure  their  lumber  and  hominy.  An 
almost  inexhaustible  body  of  large  pine  timber  is  situated 
twenty-eight  miles  below  the  fort,  near  the  three  forks  of  the 
Missouri.  The  pines,  however,  in  this  forest  are  of  shorter 
growth  than  usual — no  tree  cutting  more  than  two  saw  logs 
suitable  for  lumber.     One  thousand  feet  of  this  pine  lumber 


PIONEER  ELECTION  AND  STUMP  SPEK C  11  i;S.-p.  56. 


PIONEER  IvEGlSIvATURES  AND   INDIAN   WARS.  97 

will  be  sent  to  Yankton  as  a  specimen,  on  the  return  of  the 
first  boat  from  the  mountains  in  the  spring. 

A  banking  bill  has  also  been  passed,  which,  however,  is 
so  stringent  in  its  provisions  that  it  is  doublful  whether  any 
corporation  of  men  will  plant  their  stakes  in  the  territory  un- 
der such  poor  inducements  for  swindling. 

Several  apportionment  bills  are  still  pending  before  the 
two  branches,  but  none  of  them  have  yet  become  a  law. 

Another  divorce  bill  has  gone  through  this  afternoon  un- 
der the  whip  and  spur  of  dashing  crinoline.  Bonhomme 
county  leads  ofT  in  the  list  of  unfortunate  females,  and  the 
State  of  Indiana  comes  next  in  the  complaints.  It  is 'amus- 
ing to  observe  the  long  and  anxious  faces  of  married -men, 
listening  to  the  reading  of  the  morning  journal  of  the  house, 
to  see  if  they  have  not  been  divorced  the  previous  day.  But 
the  legislature  has  to-day  "shut  down"  on  all  further  divorce 
bills  until — next  session. 

A  great  many  of  the  officials  and  legislators  are  going  to 
Washington  soon  after  the  adjournment  here,  in  order  to 
advise  and  assist  congress  in  performing  its  laborious  duties. 
Congress  will  stand  abashed  to  witness  the  grand  array  of 
Dakota  talent ! 


Yankton,  Jan.  14,  1863. 
The  legislative  assembly  adjourned  sine  die  on  Friday,  the 
9th  inst.  The  gigantic  fraud  fight  of  the  session  came  off 
on  the  day  of  adjournment,  over  the  bill  apportioning  a  new 
representation  to  the  several  districts  of  the  territory.  The 
inception  and  movement  of  this  monstrous  bill  has  done  more 
to  reveal  and  lay  open  to  view  the  true  or  false  manhood  of 
the  different  members  and  officials  than  all  the  other  proceed- 
ings of  the  whole  session.  On  the  day  before  the  final  ad- 
journment the  two  houses  had  agreed  upon  and  passed  a  very 
fair  apportionment  bill ;  that  is,  one  which  came  nearer  doing 
7 


9^  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS. 

justice  to  all  districts  than  any  that  had  been  proposed.  .  The 
Bonhomme  and  Red  River  districts,  however,  were  dissatis- 
fied. On  the  night  after  this  bill  was  passed,  there  being  but 
one  day  of  the  session  left,  the  Red  River  delegation  started 
on  their  long  journey  homeward.  No  sooner  had  they  left 
the  city  than  a  few  of  the  great  Todd  moguls  and  the  great 
chief,  Governor  Jayne,  met,  embraced,  and  slept  in  .each 
other's  arms,  and,  alas !  what  a  monstrous  birth  of  corruption 
was  the  result  of  their  strange  connection.  A  new  bill  was 
drafted,  giving  the  same  representation  as  the  old  one  to  all 
districts,  with  the  exception  of  Bonhomme  and  Red  River, 
the  first  of  which  was  increased  to  two  councilmen  and  three 
reprcijentatives,  and  the  second  was  stricken  entirely  from  the 
bill  and  a  clause  inserted  repealing  the  Red  River  apportion- 
ment of  last  winter,  and  leaving  them  without  a  representa- 
tion in  either  branch  of  the  legislature. 

In  the  morning  the  new  bill  was  introduced  into  the  coun- 
cil by  Mr.  Shober,  and  passed  its  first,  second  and  third  read- 
ing, under  a  suspension  of  rules,  was  sent  to  the  house  and 
passed,  in  order,  to  its  second  reading,  when  the  question 
arose  for  a  suspension  of  the  rules  that  the  bill  might  be  read 
a  second  and  third  time  and  put  upon  its  passage;  and  the 
vote  being  taken,  there  were  ayes  7,  nays  5.  It  requiring  a 
two-thirds  vote,  the  speaker  cast  in  the  negative,  and  the  mo- 
tion was  lost.  The  galleries  were  crowded  with  excited  spec- 
tators, and  when  the  vote  was  declared  an  irrepressible  shout 
went  up  from  the  people.  One  vote  in  the  affirmative,  and 
Red  River  would  have  fallen  a  "dead  cock  in  the  pit,"  and 
the  great  executive  would  have  flapped  his  wings  and  crowed 
with  victory.  The  Red  River  members,  with  one  exception, 
had  voted  and  worked,  in  tfie  halls  and  at  home,  for  Todd ; 
and  the  delegate  vote  in  that  country  had  been  cast  against 
Jayne. 

The  new  criminal  code  was  also  passed  and  approved.  A 
bill  was  also  passed  appointing  Hon.  James  Tufts  a  commis- 
sioner to  audit  the  military  accounts  of  the  territory.      On  the 


PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN   WARS.  99 

day  of  adjournment  a  flood  of  military  commissions  issued 
from  the  executive  ofBce,  fell  like  a  shower  of  autumn  leaves 
among  the  governor's  friends.  In  one  instance,  a  green  l)ov 
was  commissioned  w  ith  a  lieutenancy,  to  the  exclusion  of  the 
best  drilled  officer  in  the  territory,  who  had  devoted  his  whole 
time  and  money  for  the  last  three  months  in  raising  the  same 
company  in  which  the  youth  received  his  appointment. 

The  governor  and  his  official  attendants  have  gone  to 
Washington  to  contest  the  delegate  election.  T  can  never 
touch  upon  this  topic  without  growing  warm  and  earnest 
(perhaps  too  much  so),  not  because  I  am  an  admirer  of  Gen- 
eral Todd,  but  because  I  am  one  of  the  people,  and  we  claim 
our  rights ;  we  claim  the  privilege  of  being  represented  in 
congress  by  a  man  who  is  the  undoubted  choice  of  the  terri- 
tory ;  we  claim  the  rights  of  the  ballot  box  as  the  only  altar 
on  which  we  can  burn  to  death  the  despotism  of  official  pow- 
ers ;  and  we  implore  congress,  in  the  name  of  humanity  not 
to  foist  upon  the  heads  of  an  unwilling  people  a  man  who 
has  no  more  interest  in  our  welfare  than  a  wild  bear  of  the 
Norway  snows. 

That  expedition  of  General  Cook  is  looked  after  very 
anxiously  up  here,  and  many  are  fearful  that  the  approach  of 
spring  will  bring  the  approach  of  hostile  Indians.  The 
Yanktons  have  just  been  driven  back  from  their  hunting 
grounds  by  the  Santees  on  the  Missouri ;  also,  several  cattle 
with  Indian  lariats  on  have  recently  come  down  the  valley  of 
the  James  into  the  white  settlements.  They  are  supposed  to 
have  strayed  from  the  Minnesota  Indians  now  encamped  on 
the  tributaries  of  the  Dakota  river. 

The  winter  has  thus  far  been  an  open  one,  and  the  weather 
almost  equal  to  that  of  our  Indian  summer  in  October,  and 
the  hostile  tribes  have  been  roaming  upon  the  plains  and  sub- 
sisting in  the  valleys  of  our  neighboring  streams.  All  our 
protection  in  the  way  of  soldiers  has  been  called  to  Fort  Ran- 
dall, leaving  the  entire  settled  portion  of  the  territory,  for  a 
distance   of    140   miles,  utterly   defenseless   and   unguarded. 


lOO  PIONEER  lyEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS. 

Two  hundred  Indian  warriors  to-day  could  clean  out  the 
whole  Missouri  Slope  with  the  rapidity  of  a  whirlwind,  and 
lay  the  towns  and  settlements  in  ashes.  This  may  not  be 
done;  indeed,  it  cannot  be  done,  if  the  settlers  could  only  tell 
when  to  be  ready  or  what  night  to  grapple  their  rifles  and 
meet  the  merciless  savages. 

There  are,  at  present,  ten  tons  of  ammunition  and  ord- 
nance stores  at  the  towns  of  Yankton  and  Vermillion,  liter- 
ally unguarded  and  unprotected  against  a  force  of  fifty  In- 
dians at  either  post.  These  points,  if  any.  will  be  the  first 
attacked.  One  company  of  soldiers  has  been  recklessly 
marched  into  the  heart  of  the  Indian  country,  and  prisoned 
within  the  crumbling  walls  of  old  Fort  Pierre,  to  protect  a 
few  isolated  traders,  open  a  sutler's  store,  and  furnish  to 
favorite  speculators  remunerative  contracts  of  transporting 
government  supplies.  What  is  the  pressing  need  of  troops 
in  that  bleak  and  desolate  country  in  the  dead  of  winter,  when 
the  whole  southern  part  of  the  territory  is  left  without  a  sol- 
dier? 

General  Cook  viay  be  "the  right  man  in  the  right  place," 
and  we  hope  that  his  next  visit  to  the  territory  will  establish 
that  opinion  with  the  people.  Upon  his  action  hangs  the 
hope  of  the  people.  It  will  be  a  sad  story  if  the  young  ter- 
ritory of  Dakota  must  die  for  want  of  government  protection, 
in  the  face  of  all  the  hostile  Indians  of  the  Northwest.  Here 
we  are,  a  population  of  hardy,  industrious  citizens,  who  have 
planted  in  the  wilderness  our  homes  and  fortunes,  built  our 
towns,  schools  and  churches,  improved  our  farms  and  opened 
the  territory  to  the  future  emigrant ;  and  now,  if  driven  from 
here,  we  shall  g'o  like  a  distracted  people,  homeless  and  hope- 
less, looking  for  new  abodes  hither  and  thither  everywhere 
between  the  two  oceans. 

Is  it  possible  that  General  Todd  and  Governor  Jayne  are 
unable  to  secure  from  the  government  a  single  soldier  for 
the  protection  of  the  territory?  or  are  they  so  wedded  and 
tied  to  their  own  selfish  interests  and  the  delegate  contest  that 


PIONEER   LEGISLATURES  AND    INDIAN    WARS.  lO! 

they  have  become  totally  deaf  to  the  entreaties  of  their  con- 
stituents? No,  but  there  is  a  personal  war  at  Washini^ton 
between  Todd  and  Jayne,  and  what  one  recommends  the 
other  condemns,  and  vice  versa,  while  the  people  are  left  to 
sufifer  the  consequences.  What  we  now  want  is  a  true  man 
in  Washington  ;  not  only  true  to  himself  but  true  to  the  wants 
of  the  territory. 


Yankton,  Feb.  lo,  1863. 
By  the  way,  Mr.  Editor,  the  people  of  Dakota  begin  to 
be  heard  at  Washington,  and  are  reviving  in  spirit  to  hear 
of  the  reported  promotion  of  General  Sibley  to  the  command 
of  the  Indian  war;  and  to  learn,  also,  from  the  department 
that  our  officials  will  hereafter  be  required  to  reside  in  the 
territory,  attend  to  their  duties,  and  work  with  the  people. 
It  is  well  known  that  our  great  complaint  has  been,  hitherto, 
that  our  rulers  were  unwilling  to  stay  among  us  and  assist 
in  building  up  the  wealth  and  fortunes  of  the  territory.  With 
one  exception,  they  have  made  their  homes  in  Sioux  City, 
Iowa,  for  the  past  year,  and  have  been  paying  to  the  citizens 
of  that  fortunate  town  the  handsome  sum  of  $400  a  month 
for  board  of  themselves  and  families;  for  the  simple  reason 
that  it  is  much  more  safe  and  respectable  to  live  in  the  city, 
than  to  reside  away  up  here  in  the  unpolished  society  of 
farmers,  mechanics  and  Indians.  But  "Old  Abe"  has  heard 
of  these  truant  boys,  and  sends  word  to  them  to  shoulder 
their  knapsacks  and  start  for  the  field  of  their  labors,  and 
there  stay.  Here  is  his  "circular."  which  has  been  recently 
forwarded  to  every  official  in  the  territory : 

Treasury  Department,  Comptroller's  Office, 

Jan.  5,  1863. 

Sir — The  first  section  of  an  act  approved  June  15,  1852,  chapter  49, 

pamphlet  laws,  page  10,  is  as  follows:    "That  whenever  an  officer  of  either 

of  the  territories  of  the  United  States  shall  be  absent  therefrom,  and  from 

the  duties  of  his  office,  no  salary  shall  be  paid  him  during  the  year  in 


I02  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES   AND  INDL\N    WARS. 

which  such  absence  shall  occur,  unless  good  cause  therefor  shall  be  shown 
to  the  president  of  the  United  States,  who  shall  certify  his  opinion  of  the 
sufficiency  of  such  cause,  to  the  proper  accounting  officer  of  the  treasury, 
to  be  filed  in  his  office."  Aplication  for  his  official  certificate  having 
been  made  to  the  president  by  a  territorial  officer,  whose  absence  was  not 
on  leave,  previously  obtained,  or  thereafter  sanctioned;  and  it  having 
come  to  his  knowledge  in  the  investigation  of  that  c?se  that  officers  of  the 
territories  occasionally  absent  themselves  from  the  place  of  their  duty 
for  considerable  time,  under  circumstances  in  which  the  president  may 
have  reason  to  doubt  of  the  sufficiency  of  the  cause,  to  the  prejudice  of 
the  public  service,  to  avoid  which,  in  future,  I  am  directed  by  the  secre- 
tary of  the  treasury,  under  instructions  from  the  president,  to  address 
this  circular  to  all  officers  of  the  territories,  notifying  them  that  the  pres- 
ident will  not  in  any  case  hereafter  certify  the  sufficiency  of  the  alleged 
cause  of  any  absence  of  the  officer  of  the  territorj'-  when  not  on  duty  by 
order  of  the  proper  department  or  the  president,  unless  such  absence  shall 
liave  been  communicated  to  and  sanctioned  by  the  proper  head  of  depart- 
ment according  to  the  analogy  of  what  is  already  practiced  in  other 
branches  of  the  government.  To  avoid  delay  in  settling  and  paying  your 
salary,  you  will  be  pleased  to  address  a  letter  to  this  office,  in  season  to 
arrive  by  due  course  of  mail  before  the  end  of  each  quarter,  stating 
whether  you  have  or  have  not  been  absent  during  the  quarter,  from  the 
territory  and  from  your  duties.  The  above  rcgulatinns  and  /arc  icill  be  hence- 
forth strictly  enforced.  Sincererly  yours, 

Elisha  WhittlEskv. 

Comptroller. 

Only  two  officers  of  Dakota  have  ever  lived  within  sixty 
miles  of  the  above  requirements  (Sioux  City).  The  rest  have 
violated  it  most  shamefully,  both  in  letter  and  spirit,  by  beingf 
absent  from  the  territory  and  their  duties  more  than  flircc- 
fonrtIi.<!  nf  the  entire  year.  \\\W  thev  now  obev  it.  or  will  they 
belie  it  to  the  President?     We  shall  see. 

Military  matters  in  the  territory  are  proq-ressinq-  slowly, 
no  orders  havinsf  been  yet  received  for  the  musterinq-  in  of  the 
two  cavalr}'-  companies  now  beincf  raised  under  Captains 
Tripp  and  Fuller.  These  two  companies,  if  once  mustered 
in,  equipped,  rationed  and  paid  bv  the  q'overnment,  would  be 
a  sufficient  protection  to  quiet  the  fears  of  the  people,  and 
encourage  the  planting-  of  our  sprinq-  crops.  Ry  that  time  the 
g-overnment  could  certainly  spare  three  or  four  companies 
of  infant rv  to  be  stationed  in  the  Icrritorv.      Wc  would  not 


PIONEER  LKGISEATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS.  '03 

assume  to  call  for  any  unnecessary  protection  from  our  gov- 
ernment in  time  of  war,  nor  do  we ;  but  we  believe  the  gov- 
ernment is  willing  and  able  to  grant  us  the  aid  we  desire,  and 
would  long  ago  have  sent  us  the  necessary  protection,  had 
it  not  been  for  a  gross  dereliction  of  duty  on  the  part  of  our 
chief  exponents  and  representative  men  at  Washington.  They 
flee  for  protection  in  the  time  of  danger,  while  zve  must  stand 
and  fight  for  our  homes  and  families.  I  do  not  say  that  there 
is  danger,  or  will  be;  but  there  may  be,  and  the  people  feel 
and  fear  it,  when  it  is  known  that  the  punished  and  enraged 
Santees  of  Minnesota  have  taken  up  their  abodes  in  the  val- 
leys of  the  James  and  Missouri.  An  exhibition  of  military 
strength  on  the  part  of  our  government  will  do  more  to  sub- 
due the  Indians  than  a  hundred  little  victories  gained  with 
small  detachments  of  soldiers.  The  war  can  be  made  offen- 
sive or  defensive.  Five  thousand  mounted  men  could  drive 
all  the  Indians  of  the  Northwest  beyond  the  mountains,  while 
500  could  defend  the  settled  portion  of  the  territory  against 
the  whole  Sioux  nation.  Governor  Saunders  of  Nebraska  is 
distributing  a  strong  force  of  dragoons  all  along  the  Nebraska 
side  of  the  Missouri,  for  the,  protection  of  the  settlements  of 
that  territory.  So  long  as  the  ice  bridges  the  river  the  Ne- 
braska troops  are  a  defense  to  Dakota;  and  if  we  do  not 
soon  receive  protection  of  our  own,  we  shall  begin  to  pray 
to  God  instead  of  the  government,  in  order  that  the  river 
may  retain  its  flooring  of  ice  throughout  the  summer  season. 
Thirty-one  Santees,  consisting  of  men,  women  and  children, 
have  recently  come  down  the  Missouri  in  a  starving  condi- 
tion, and  have  surrendered  themselves  to  the  military  author- 
ities at  Fort  Randall.  A  detachment  of  cavalry  has  been  sent 
after  ten  more  lodges  now  encamped  seventy  miles  above 
the  fort.  Among  those  already  captured  was  found  a  stolen 
liorse,  taken  last  season  from  a  settler  on  James  river. 

The  unknown  cattle  spoken  of  m  my  last  letter  as  hav- 
ing strayed  into  the  white  settlements  have  proved  to  be  those 
that  were  driven  off  by  llic  Indians  last  fall  from  the  settle- 


I04  PIONEER  IvEGISIvATURES  AND,  INDIAN   WARS. 

ments  in  Clay  county.  The  Yanktons  and  Pawnees  have 
recently  made  a  treaty,  and  sealed  the  contract  by  an  ex- 
change of  ponies  and  squaws. 

Aside  from  military  movements  and  Indian  rumors  little 
of  interest  occurs  in  the  territory.  The  citizens  are  generally 
engaged  in  building  block-houses  by  day.  and  in  dancing  and 
dreaming  of  Indians  bv  night.  The  grand  sociale  of  the  sea- 
son came  off  at  the  Hotel  d'  Ash,  on  Franklin's  birthday, 
under  the  auspices  of  the  "'Printer's  Festival."  Most  of  the 
notables  and  aspirants  of  Dakota  have  fled  to  Washington, 
to  offer  their  services  to  the  president  in  filling  vacancies  in 
office.  "Poor  Uncle  Sam,''  what  a  legion  of  friends  he  has 
— outside  of  the  army. 

Department  of  the  Northwest, 
St.  Paul,  Minn.,  Feb.  ii,  1863. 
M.  K. 'Armstrong.  Assi.  Adjt.  Gen.,  Dakota  Territory: 

Sir — The  brigadier  general  commanding  acknowledges  the  receipt 
of  your  communication  of  the  29th  ult.  He  fully  realizes  the  great  im- 
portance, to  the  frontier  states  and  territories,  of  the  movement  to  be 
made  against  the  Indians  in  the  coming  spring. 

Extensive  preparations  are  being  made  for  a  vigorous  campaign  as 
soon  as  the  season  will  permit. 

It  is  proposed  to  start  an  expedition  from  this  point  to  unite  with 
one  from  Iowa,  and  proceeding  directly  to  the  heart  of  the  Indian  coun- 
try, attack  them  in  their  villages.  The  work  must  be  done  effectively 
and  at  once,  and  all  fear  of  Sioux  depredations  east  of  the  Missouri  for- 
ever removed. 

It  is  confirmed,  also,  that  a  third  expedition  will  move  up  the  Mis- 
souri river,  for  the  purpose  of  protecting  the  interests  of  civilization  in 
that  region,  and  co-operating  with  the  Minnesota  and  Iowa  troops. 

Advices  from  headquarters  of  the  army  give  assurance  that  supplies 
necessary  for  the  prosecution  of  the  campaign  will  be  furnished  without 
delay.  Very  Respectfully, 

R.  C.  Olin,  a.  A.  A.  General. 

The  glad  tidings  of  the  fact  of  three  expeditions  to  move 
against  the  Indians  this  spring  have  inspired  the  people  with 
courage  and  industry.  Farmers  are  returning  from  the 
towns  to  their  fields  and  settlements  and  are  building  houses 
and  repairing  fences  preparatory  for  the  planting  of  their 
spring  crops.      In  the  towns  business  is  reviving,  and  many 


PIONEER   IvEGISI^ATURES  AND   INDIAN   WARS.  IO5 

with  their  families  wlio  were  one  month  ago  packing  their 
goods  to  leave  the  territory  in  the  spring,  are  to-day  busily 
engaged  in  making  preparations  for  building  themselves  per- 
manent homes  in  the  territory. 

Land  claims  are  becoming  valuable,  and  a  few  are  bought 
and  many  "jumped."  Since  the  rise  in  land  warrants  and  the 
fall  of  "greenbacks"  most  of  the  settlers  are  using  the  home- 
stead law  instead  of  the  preemption  act.  These  settlers  will 
need  protection  from  the  Indians  during  the  summer,  and 
care  should  be  taken  that,  while  the  expedition  is  pushing  far 
into  the  wilds  of  the  red  man's  country,  the  settled  portion 
of  the  territory  may  be  left  well  guarded;  otherwise  Little 
Crow  and  his  warriors  may  flee  the  plains  and  pour  in  upon 
us  a  force  that  will  lay  waste  the  whole  Missouri  Slope,  before 
the  expedition  returns  from  the  north.  Ten  good  compa 
nies  can  perform  this  work  of  protection,  while  the  rest  move 
upon  the  foe.  I  predict  that  the  coming  expedition  will  re- 
pay the  government  in  developing  the  hidden  resources  of 
our  territory,  and  in  bringing  to  light  the  mineral  and  agri- 
cultural wealth  of  the  L^pper  Missouri  valley. 

The  gold  mines  of  northern  Dakota  are  at  present  attract- 
ing the  attention  of  the  leading  men  in  the  territory.  A  com- 
pany has  been  organized  in  this  city  under  the  head  of  the 
i'Wind  River  and  Rocky  Mountain  Mining  and  Transporta- 
tion Co.."  of  which  Hon.  James  Tufts  is  president,  and  R.  G. 
Williams,  Esq.,  secretary.  George  Detwilder  is  exploring 
agent,  and  is  now  in  the  mines,  having  passed  up  on  the 
steamer  Shreveport  last  season.  The  reports  brought  from 
the  mines  are  so  direct,  reliable  and  encouraging,  that  Mr. 
Tufts  intends  starting  for  the  Wind  river  gold  beds,  at  the 
head  of  150  miners,  early  in  the  spring.  These  are  the  mines 
spoken  of  in  one  of  my  former  letters  from  information  ob- 
tained, from  Major  Galpin,  avIio  lias  traversed  that  country  as 
fur  trader  for  the  last  twenty-one  years. 

The  gold  is  found  in  dust  in  the  river  beds  and  banks,  and 
covers  an  immense  region,  stretching  over  all  the  tributaries 


I06  PIONEER  LEGISIvATURES   AND  INDIAN  WARS. 

of  Wind  river  toward  the  base  of  the  Rocky  Alountains.  The 
average  yield  per  man  is  from  eight  to  fifteen  dollars  per  day. 
All  kinds  of  produce  have  been  enormously  high  in  the  mines 
during  the  last  season.  But  freight  can  be  taken  by  steam- 
boat to  within  130  miles  of  the  mines  for  four  dollars  per  hun- 
dred weight  from  Sioux  City,  or  for  six  dollars  from  St. 
Louis. 

It  is  no  folly  to  believe  that  the  great  gold  fields  of  the 
rocky  region  of  the  Northwest  will  yet  fill  the  lap  of  the  na- 
tion with  its  yellow  harvest,  and  the  Upper  Missouri  will  yet 
float  a  carrying  trade  of  millions  of  dollars.  This  may  be 
considered  wild  talk,  but  the  first  discovery  of  new  mines  is 
always  considered  wild  talk  until  proven  a  reality.  But  one 
thing  is  true,  there  is  a  gold  harvest  in  that'  region  which 
needs  only  to  be  gathered ;  and  one  hundred  and  forty  thou- 
sand dollars  in  dust  passed  down  the  river  this  season  on 
steamboats  and  Mackinaws. 

To  be  sure,  the  mines  are  a  long  Avay  off,  but  gold  is  worth 
going  a  long  way  after.  And  still  these  fields  are  more  easy 
of  access  from  the  Eastern  States  than  any  other  now  open 
on  the  continent.  The  distance  is  about  i.ioo  miles  by 
steamboat  and  450  miles  by  overland,  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Running  Water. 

The  news  in  our  congressional  drawer  is  meager ;  nothiiK^ 
of  importance  having  ])een  heard  from  Dakotans  at  Wash- 
ington. 

Private  letters  state  that  Hon.  J.  I'".  Potter  of  Wisconsin, 
and  of  Pryor  duel  notr)rietv,  has  been  confirmed  governor  of 
Dakota. 

The  nomination  of  General  Todd  as  brigadier  general  has 
been  rejected  by  the  senate ;  and  we  shall  now  look  for  all 
our  Dakotans  home  again. 

The  weather  here  is  delightful  and  warm,  and  the  snow 
having  all  disappeared  from  the  earth,  the  hazv  smoke  of 
spring  is  hanging  over  hill  and  dale,  as  though  ten  thousand 
Indians  were  smoking  their  pipes  in  all  the  valleys  of  Dakota. 


PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS.  1  07 

The  great  river  has  burst  its  chains  and  has  gone  leaping-  and 
plunging  away  for  the  sunny  climes  of  the  Great  Gulf.  Vast 
armies  of  rebel  water  fowls  are  flocking  from  the  South  to 
the  northward,  and  the  tuneful  robin  has  been  heard  to  peep 
in  her  woodland  home. 


Yankton,  April  i8,  1863. 

T  hope  it  will  not  be  inferred  from  my  last  letter  that  gold 
can  be  plucked  from  the  Rocky  Mountains  without  labor. 
The  gold  fever  is  spreading  with  alarming  rapidity,  and  to 
the  m^ny  hundreds  who  are  preparing  their  outfit  for  an  over- 
land trip  to  Wind  river.  I  would  utter  this  warning:  Re- 
member that  sloth,  intemperance  and  dissipation  will  make 
a  man  poor  even  in  a  garden  of  gold ;  while  labor,  frugality 
and  diligence  will  hammer  a  fortune  from  the  sparkling  grain 
of  a  mountain  rock.  A  company  of  miners  intend  starting 
for  the  mines,  I  am  told,  about  the  middle  of  May,  by  the 
overland  route  from  the  mouth  of  the  Running  Water.  They 
expect  to  reach  the  gold  fields  in  about  thirty  days,  with  ox 
teams,  and  a  portion  of  them  will  return,  in  the  fall  for  winter 
supplies. 

The  opening  of  this  short  thoroughfare  to  the  northern 
mines  will  serve  as  a  gateway  through  which  will  be  poured 
an  immense  trade  into  southern  Dakota  and  northern  Iowa. 
This  trade  and  travel  at  present  all  passes  by  the  circuitous 
route  of  Salt  Lake  City  round  to  the  Missouri. 

With  the  approach  of  spring  and  the  appearance  of  grass 
our  settlers  begin  to  fear  the  knife  of  the  red  man.  Some  of 
the  James  river  farmers  were  in  town  yesterday,  considerably 
frightened,  and  reported  the  discovery  of  six  lodges  of  In- 
dians encamped  on  Clay  creek,  about  eleven  miles  from  this 
place.  A  number  of  ponies  were  seen  feeding  around  the 
encampment.  A  squad  of  horsemen  have  this  morning  left 
rown  in  search  of  them.      I  am  of  opinion,  however,  that  they 


108  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND   INDIAN  WARS. 

are  a  band  of  friendly  Yanklons,  with  their  families,  on  a  fish- 
ing excursion,  for  the  reason  that  a  small  war  party  never 
goes  incumbered  with  tepees. 

Several  scouts  sent  out  by  Major  Burleigh  have  returned, 
and  report  a  large  encampment  of  the  Minnesota  murderers 
at  Sioux  Falls,  within  sixty  miles  of  the  territorial  capitol  and 
eighty  miles  from  the  brigadier  general's  headquarters. 

I  understand  that  General  Cook  has  dispatched  an  order 
to  Fort  Randall  for  Captain  Miner's  cavalry  to  proceed  im- 
mediately,' with  guides  and  interpreters,  to  the  Indians'  en- 
campment and  demand  them  to  surrender  or  fight.  They 
will  not  accede  to  the  first  request,  but  will  probably  fight 
or  fiee  before  the  cavalry  are  within  a  day's  march  of  them. 

Sioux  Falls  is  like  Milton's  "nest  of  hell-hoimds,"  and 
unless  cleaned  out  and  guarded  with  soldiers,  it  will  always 
be  a  thorn  in  the  side  of  the  territory,  inasmuch  as  it  is  a  safe 
and  favorite  retreat  for  murderous  bands  of  Santees.  who 
have  been  accustomed  to  annually  assemble  there  to  fish  and 
hunt  and  to  gather  pipe  stone  from  the  great  red  quarry, 
which  by  the  bridle  path  is  only  a  few  hours'  ride  from  the 
Falls. 

We  are  encouraged  to  learn  that  General  Cook  intends 
to  guard  the  settlements  with  an  ample  force  against  the  in- 
roads of  the  savages,  while  his  main  body  invades  the  red 
man's  country.  In  my  former  letter  I  stated  that  five  com- 
panies of  cavalry  or  ten  of  infantry  could  protect  the  entire 
territory.  Two  companies  should  be  stationed  at  Sioux  Falls 
to  hold  that  place,  and  guard  the  mail  route  to  the  Missouri; 
one  company  at  Yankton  and  James  river  ferries ;  one  com- 
pany at  Vermillion  and  Clay  creek ;  one  at  Brule  creek  and 
Sioux  point;  one  at  Bonhomme  and  Choteau  creek;  and  the 
rest  at  the  agency  and  Fort  Randall ;  making  ten  companies 
of  infantry. 

I  presume  all  the  cavalry  will  be  needed  with  the  expedi- 
tion, but  at  least  ten  horsemen  should  be  left  at  each  of  the 
above  points  to  act  as  scouts  and  picket  guards.     This  may 


PIONEER  EEGlSIvATURES  AND   INDIAN  WARS.  I  OQ 

be  considered  an  extravagant  and  needless  protection,  but  if 
there  is  ^ny  fighting  with  the  Indians  in  Dakota  this  summer 
it  will  take  place  at  Sioux  Falls  or  James  river,  instead  of  on 
the  northern  plains. 

These  are  the  only  two  places  in  the  territory  where  our 
cavalry  and  citizens  were  attacked  last  season.  At  the  for- 
mer place  one  Indian  was  killed  and  three  wounded  by  Cap- 
tain Miner's  men,  and  two  citizens  were  shot  dead  in  the  field  ; 
while  on  James  river  eleven  horses  were  stolen  during  the 
summer  and  one  of  the  owners  shot  while  standing  in  the 
door  of  his  own  cabin.  This  same  war  party,  on  the  next 
day,  attacked  a  squad  of  cavalry  from  Yankton,  and  ex- 
changed some  thirty  shots,  but  without  effect. 

The  long,  deep  and  rugged  valleys  of  the  Sioux  and  James 
rivers  afford  a  hidden  passage  through  which  the  red  warriors 
can  skulk  and  pounce  in  upon  the  settlements  almost  unper- 
ceived  until  they  stand  at  our  very  doors.  General  Cook,  we 
are  assured,  is  a  man  of  military  tact  and  foresight,  and  will 
survey  well  the  ground  before  distributing  his  forces.  Wetruly 
hope  that  he  will,  for  we  are  settled  in  the  belief  that  if  there 
is  any  blood  shed  on  Dakota's  soil  in  combat  with  Indians 
this  season,  it  will  be  W'ithin  one  hundred  miles  of  Sioux  City- 
Little  Crow  is  not  the  man  to  draw  up  his  warriors  before  a 
regiment  of  well  drilled  cavalry,  and  expose  them  to  the  fatal 
fire  of  7,000  balls  from  carbine  and  revolver,  so  long  as  he 
can  easily  shun  such  a  force  and  dash  upon  defenseless  settle- 
ments of  men,  women  and  children,  burn  their  houses,  kill 
their  cattle,  steal  their  horses,  and  retreat  in  triumph  to  the 
plains  with  the  reeking  scalps  of  his  murdered  victims.  I 
dare  say  that  5,000  men  can,  to-day,  traverse  the  entire  circuit 
of  the  Northwest,  from  Devil's  lake  to  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, and  not  meet  a  hostile  Indian.  Where  will  they  go? 
These  Indians  must  stay  somewhere.  They  will  conceal 
themselves  in  some  safe  and  unknown  recess,  from  which 
they  will,  day  and  night,  send  out  scouting  parties  to  scour 
the  plains  and  scent  the  enemy  until  their  invading  foe  has 

? 


IIO  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS. 

passed  beyond  the  circle  of  danger.  According  to  the  re- 
ports of  friendly  Indians  lately,  from  the  north,  this.intrigue 
is  now  being  resorted  to  by  all  the  hostile  bands  of  the  plains, 
who  are  now  congregating  under  Little  Crow,  and  fortifying 
themselves  upon  a  secluded  island  in  Devil's  lake,  far  beyond 
the  reach  of  rifle  or  cannon,  and  unapproachable  only  by  rafts 
and  flatboats,  on  account  of  the  low  marshes  and  deep,  miry 
banks.  If  this  be  true,  they  can  be  eventually  wiped  out,  for 
the  government  has  guns  powerful  enough  to  blow  the  island 
from  its  roots  into  the  winds  of  heaven,  and  sift  the  red  devils 
upon  the  lake  like  drowning  muskrats. 

From  what  I  have  said  it  is  hoped  the  settlers  will  not  in- 
fer that  there  is  danger  before  us.  Indeed,  we  believe  other- 
wise, for  we  are  told  that  General  Cook  will  see  us  protected 
in  our  own  fields  and  workshops.  I  have  merely  made  the 
above  suggestions  that  the  commanding  general  may  know 
the  wants  and  feelings  of  the  people,  and  to  apprise  him  of 
the  fact  that  the  population  of  Dakota  is  trembling  upon  the 
verge  of  another  stampede,  even  in  the  face  of  his  incoming 
expedition.  General  Cook  is  undoubtedly  aware,  as  well  as 
we,  that  leaving  us  unprotected,  and  pushing  his  expedition 
of  3,000  men  to  the  north  of  us,  to  unite  with  the  Minnesota 
troops,  would  be  little  else  than  driving  the  Indians  down 
upon  us  like  herds  of  buffalo ;  and  he  should  not  be  surprised 
on  returning  from  the  fruitless  campaign,  to  find  that  he  had 
been  outgeneraled  and  the  city  containing  his  own  headquar- 
ters in  ashes. 

Thus  far  the  Dakota  cavalr}^  have  protected  the  entire 
territory,  except  the  single  post  of  Fort  Randall,  which  has 
been  garrisoned  with  three  companies  of  Iowa  infantry. 
Through  all  our  Indian  troubles  last  fall,  when  the  people 
were  fleeing  from  the  territory  like  wild  geese,  not  a  soldier 
was  sent  to  our  aid.  either  from  Fort  Randall  or  Sioux  City, 
at  which  places  there  were  then  quartered  over  700  troops. 
All  this  time  Dakota  was  struggling  to  defend  herself  with 
one  company  of  her  own  volunteers — Captain  Miner's  cav- 


PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS.  '  i  ' 

airy.  This  company  has  done  all  the  fi^htini^,  taken  all  the 
prisoners  and  killed  the  only  Indians  that  have  been  killed 
in  the  territory  since  the  Sionx  outbreak.  They  have  es- 
corted a  train  of  government  teams  and  an  infantry  company 
to  Fort  Pierre,  and  returned  in  the  dead  of  winter.  They 
also,  last  fall,  performed  a  wearisome  duty  in  the  way  of  stand- 
ing guard,  and  escorting  frightened  officials.  We  are  sorry 
to  learn  that,  on  account  of  severe  exposure  to  wintry  storms 
and  incessant  night-watches,  many  of  the  privates  of  this  com- 
pany are  lying  in  critical  stages  of  lung  fever.  One  or  two 
have  died  during  the  past  week. 

The  squad  of  horsemen  which  left  town  this  morning  have 
returned,  and  report  no  signs  of  Indians,  but  a  crazy  panic 
has  fallen  upon  the  Norwegian  settlement,  and  many  are  load- 
ing their  teams  to  leave  the  territory.  I  again  repeat  my 
former  warnin"g,  that  a  few  soldiers  are  needed  immediately 
to  steady  the  nerves  of  the  people  and  prevent  an  impending 
stampede.      Give  us  our  Dakota  cavalry. 


PIONEERS  DISCOUKAC.ED. 

Yankton,  May  6,  1863. 
The  Norwegian  stampede  has  about  subsided,  and  has  re- 
sulted in  a  pretty  clean  sweep  of  the  Norway  settlements  from 
Yankton  to  the  Big  Sioux.  Nevertheless,  we  will  not  mourn 
over  what  has  passed,  but  will  strive  to  look  with  uncomplain- 
ing eyes  upon  the  deserted  homes  and  abandoned  fields  of 
our  once  thriving  settlements.  We  may  be  cowards  and 
fools  to  dream  of  danger  when  2,000  cavalry  are  encamped 
in  the  keyhole  of  the  territory;  but  it  should  be  remembered 
that  one  hundred  miles  of  settlement  lying  between  said  en- 
campment and  the  Yankton  agency  is  left  open  to  the  attack 
of  the  whole  Santee  nation — and  this  fact  alone  is  calculated 
to  awaken  fear  and  cause  sad  faces  and  lonely  hearts  in  the 
home  of  many  a  pioneer  family.  When  dark  night  hangs  its 
mantle  over  400  miles  of  the  red  man's  plains,  it  is  quite  a 


112  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND   INDIAN  WARS. 

different  thing  for  men.  with  their  helpless  women  and  chil- 
dren, to  sleep  within  sound  of  the  Indian  warwhoop  than  to 
rest  secure  within  hearing  of  the  signal  shot  of  two  regiments 
of  cavalry.  In  the  latter  place  we  are  all  brave  men ;  in  the 
former  we  are  seized  with  quite  a  different  sensation. 

If  General  Cook  has  been  ordered  to  concentrate  all  his 
troops  at  Sioux  City  until  he  is  ready  to  march  them  straight 
through  the  territor\  to  the  British  line,  then  we  say  he  is 
right  in  obeying  orders.  But  if  our  government  has  become 
more  prone  to  speculation  than  justice, — more  deaf  to  the 
cries  of  her  people  than  her  politicians;  if  she  is  unable  to 
hold  a  territory  which  she  has  purchased  for  a  million  and  a 
half  of  dollars,  and  opened  to  settlement  and  invited  emi- 
grants only  to  be  butchered  by  a  lawless  band  of  Indians ;  if 
this  be  the  drift  and  purpose  of  our  republic,  then  we  say  the 
sooner  she  sinks  to  the  gulf  of  destruction  the  better  for  the 
people. 

It  has  been  said  that  "Dakota  was  not  worth  fighting  for/' 
that  "the  inhabitants  were  needlessly  frightened,"  and  that 
"three  old  women  could  protect  the  territory."  But  I  have 
observed  that  all  who  make  these  remarks  are  sure  to  be 
found  in  the  rear  of  2,000  cavalry,  with  the  Indians  far  in  the 
invisible  foreground. 

In  one  sense,  it  may  with  truth  be  said  that  there  is  no 
danger  to  the  settlements,  the  same  as  there  was  no  danger 
at  Washington  at  the  time  the  Union  army  made  its  grand 
retreat  on  that  frightened  city.  Neither  was  there  any  dan- 
ger at  Bull  Run,  and  still  our  army  fled  with  its  ofificers  as 
though  the  earth  was  pregnant  with  rebel  batteries.  A  peo- 
ple will  perish  in  a  state  of  fear  and  anxiety  sooner  than  of 
blank  despair;  and  although  it  may  be  folly  to  cry  "Wolf!" 
when  no  wolf  is  near,  yet  a  child  that  has  once  had  its  hand 
in  the  lion's  mouth  is  very  apt  to  dread  another  such  experi- 
ment. We  of  Dakota  have  once  experienced  such  a  calamity, 
and  if  the  government  will  now  lake  care  of  her  murderous 
Indians,  we  in  the  territorv  will  take  care  of  ourselves.     We 


PIONEER  LECISEATlRES   WD   INDIAN  WARS.  I  I  ;^ 

have  already  raised  for  the  government  two  companies  of 
cavah-y,  and  we  have  not  to-day  a  soldier  stationed  in  all  our 
settlements,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  canipfires  of 
all  the  hostile  hands  of  the  Northwest  are  nightly  kindled  with- 
in the  borders  of  our  territory.  In  our  present  situation  we 
are  like  stool  pigeons  chained  to  the  outposts  of  the  frontier, 
to  invite  a  massacre  and  tempt  the  Indians  within  striking 
distance  of  the  government  trooj)s.  We  are  informed,  how- 
ever, that  General  Cook  is  blameless  in  this  matter,  and  that 
he  has  been  ordered  to  march  his  entire  expedition  into  the 
heart  of  the  Indian  country  and  attack  his  enemv.  It  will 
prove  a  sad  movement,  and  can  only  be  realized  by  the  de- 
fenseless settlers  who  will  be  left  unprotected  in  their  fields 
and  villages.  I  freely  admit  that  much  of  the  fear  of  the  peo- 
ple is  extreme  and  unwarranted,  but  that  should  not  prevent 
steps  being  taken  to  allay  a  fright  which  threatens  to  depop- 
ulate the  territory.  It  is  a  rule  of  all  good  generals  to  keep 
their  sentinels  out,  even  in  the  absence  of  danger,  and  when 
the  enemy  is  far  in  the  distance.  If  no  danger  is  apprehended 
why  is  a  night  guard  kept  out  by  2,000  cavalry  now  encamped 
at  the  heel  of  the  territory,  while  100  miles  of  settlement  are 
left  open  to  the  night-watch  of  Little  Crow  and  his  sentinels? 

It  is  said  here  to-day  that  General  Cook  intends  establish- 
ing a  line  of  scouts  from  Fort  Randall  to  the  Sioux  river,  and 
connecting  his  own  division  with  that  of  General  Sibley.  If 
this  be  so,  it  will  serve  as  a  great  protection  to  settled  por- 
tions of  the  territory,  inasmuch  as  the  trail  thus  followed 
would  pass  beween  us  and  the  Indians.  In  such  a  case  we 
could  almost  take  care  of  ourselves,  provided  the  scouts  were 
not  too  far  remove^  upon  the  plains  to  warn  us  of  approach- 
ing danger.  We  shall  await  with  anxiety  the  movement  of 
the  troops. 

The  3,000  Minnesota  Indians  which  are  to  be  transported 
to  this  territory  are  to  be  located  in  the  region  of  Crow  creek, 
near  Fort  Lookout,  on  this  side  of  the  river.  W'c  ha\e  no 
particular  ol)jection  to  their  l)eing  l)rought  into  I  )akota.  ]iro- 

8 


114  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES   AXD  INDIAN   WARS. 

vided  the  government  will  send  troops  enough  to  keep  them 
from  cutting-  our  throats.  When  they  arri\'e  at  their  new 
home  they  intend  to  wash  the  blood  from  their  hands,  gar- 
ments, knives  and  tomahawks,  and  live  in  peace.  If  so,  we 
may  look  out  to  see  the  Missouri  run  red  soon  after  the  "great 
wash"  takes  place. 

]\Iany  of  our  best  citizens  are  leaving  for  the  new  gold 
mines,  some  by  land  and  some  by  river.  Judge  Tufts  and 
Colonel  Ilagaman  will  go  by  the  first  steamboat.  All  who 
go  are  confident  of  making  a  golden  fortune,  and  expect  to 
return  in  a  year  to  exhibit  their  "300  pounds  of  pure  dust." 
It  is  beyond  doubt  that  the  gold  beds  are  deep  and  inexhaust- 
ible, but  it  is  said  there  is  one  difificulty  in  the  way  of  digging 
it.  occasioned  by  the  necessity  of  blasting  through  six  feet 
of  "solid  silver  in  order  to  get  to  the  gold.  This  is  indeed  a 
tough  case,  but  it  will  undoubtedly  not  keep  many  away  from 
the  mines. 

The  United  States  court  opens  next  week.  No  news  of 
who  or  where  is  our  governor,  and  nothing  of  importance 
respecting  the  delegate  contest,  except  the  testimony  of  Hon. 
J.  Y.  Buckman,  late  member  of  the  legislature,  who,  it  is  said, 
was  sworn  before  a  United  States  judge  in  Washington,  and 
made  oath  that  at  the  Red  River  election  there  were  but  five 
white  men  in  the  country,  all  the  rest  being  half-breeds,  and 
one  of  the  judges  of  election  was  a  British  subject  from  Sel- 
kirk; that  after  the  polls  were  closed  it  was  found  that  all  the 
votes  were  cast  for  Todd,  but  in  order  to  make  the  case  ap- 
pear more  plausible,  they  arranged  the  returns  so  as  to  give 
Jayne  eighteen  votes  and  Todd  the  rest.  Mr.  Huckman  ran 
upon  the  same  ticket,  and  was  elected  by  the  same  \otes,  and 
ser\ed  in  the  same  session  with  Donaldson  and  Mch^etridge, 
as  members  from  the  l\cd  River.  If  this  be  true,  as  it  is  said 
there  is  no  adverse  proof,  it  is  a  shame  and  disgrace  to  the 
territory  to  allow  that  distant  region  of  half-l)reeds  and  a  few 
white  traders  a  representation  in  the  legislature.  'I'lie  act 
should  be  repealed  immediately  upon  the  reassembling  of  the 
next  legislature. 


PIOXKKR   I/ICGISLATURES   AM)  IXDIAX    WAUS.  '  l? 

Yankton,  May  26.  1H63. 

\A  e  are  beginning-  to  receive  protection.  Captain  Tripp "s 
tine  company  of  Dakota  cavalry  arrived  here  on  last  P'riday, 
and  were  greeted  with  the  firing  of  cannon,  the  waving  of 
flags  and  the  cheers  of  the  people.  For  two  hours  this  com- 
pany were  on  parade  on  the  village  green,  before  an  adnnVing 
people,  and  the  remarkable  ease  and  rapidity  with  which  they 
went  through  the  most  intricate  cavalry  evolutions,  from  the 
dashing  gallop  of  full  platoons  to  the  wheeling  into  line  at  a 
slow^  walk,  was  a  subject  of  universal  connnent.  Dakota 
may  well  feel  proud  of  this  company  and  its  gallant  captain; 
we  are  now  protected  by  our  own  soldiers.  It  is  sad  to  think 
that  tw^o  of  our  best  citizens  were  required  to  yield  up  their 
blood  to  the  savages  in  order  to  carry  conviction  to  the  mind 
of  those  in  authority  that  danger  was  upon  us.  But  they 
now  believe  us,  and  have  answ^ered  our  prayer  for  protection, 
and  w^e  have  no  more  to  say  against  the  commanding  general, 
so  long  as  he  takes  care  of  the  settlements. 

Four  companies  of  the  Sixth  Iowa  cavalry  passed  through 
here  last  Wednesday,  on  forced  march  for  Fort  Pierre,  which 
post  is  garrisoned  by  a  company  of  infantry,  on  short  rations 
and  surrounded  by  whole  acres  of  Indians.  It  was  not  known 
whether  they  w^ere  hostile,  intent  upon  attack,  or  friendly 
tribes  that  had  come  in  from  the  ])lains  to  meet  the  steam- 
l)oats  and  receive  their  amiuities. 

The  last  messenger  from  Fort  Pierre  met  Adjutant  Booge 
within  one  day's  drive  of  the  fort,  with  six  loads  of  provisions 
for  the  sutler's  store.  Later  reports  state  that  General  Booge 
had  reached  the  fort  and  supplied  the  garrison  with  twenty 
days'  rations. 

The  steamer  Shreveport  ;irri\ed  here  last  \.\  cdncsda)' 
week,  and  laid  up  until  Thursda\  noon,  awaiting  a  fall  of  high 
winds.  The  Isal)ella,  laden  \\ith  freight  for  the  new  home 
of  the  Minnesota  Indians,  passed  here  on  Sunday,  the  loth 
inst.  The  forw'ard  progress  of  these  boats  is  of  necessity 
slow   and   tedious,  occasioned   b\'   the  unusual   low  stai^e  of 


ii6 


PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND   INDIAN  WARS. 


water.  The  vShreveport  had  only  reached  the  Yankton 
agency  on  Tuesday  last,  and  was  stuck  fast  in  two  feet  of 
water,  with  all  her  hands  at  work  with  shovels  and  spades 
digg-ing-  a  channel  through  the  bar. 

Scarcely  any  snow  has  fallen  in  the  mountains  during  the 
past  winter  to  swell  the  northern  tributaries  of  the  Missouri, 
and  besides  this  we  have  not  had  a  drop  of  rain  for  nearly 
four  weeks,  until  last  Thursday  the  celestial  Acjuarius  tipped 
his  watery  urn  and  poured  a  torrent  upon  field  and  river. 
Crops  are  now  looking  remarkablv  well,  and  notwithstandinsf 
the  fact  that  quite  a  number  of  farmers  have  been  driven  from 
our  borders  through  fear  of  the  Indians,  quite  an  area  of  acres 
have  been  planted  in  crops  since  the  appearance  of  troops  in 
our  midst.  If  the  two  Dakota  companies  were  judiciously 
distributed  throughout  the  settlements,  the  people  would  set- 
tle down  to  a  feeling  of  security. 

The  removal  of  the  Minnesota  Indians  to  this  territory  is 
looked  upon  by  the  citizens  with  fear  and  trembling ;  but  it 
is  hoped  the  government  will  retain  troops  enough  upon  the 
frontier  to  overawe  the  savages  and  make  them  know  that 
General  Cook,  and  not  General  Crow,  is  commanding  general 
of  the  Northwest.  In  order  to  do  this,  and  to  prevent  a 
depopulation  of  our  settlements,  it  will  be  necessary  for  the 
government  to  establish  and  garrison  two  military  posts 
standing  out  north  of  the  settlements,  and  on  a  line  between 
Fort  Randall  and  Sioux  Falls,  the  intermediate  post  being 
on  James  river,  about  twenty  miles  above  its  mouth.  A  mil- 
itary road  connecting  these  points  would  pass  near  the  old 
Vermillion  crossing,  and  by  the  head  of  Turkey  creek.  The 
distance  from  Fort  Randall  to  Sioux  Falls,  by  way  of  the 
James  river  rapids,  is  about  120  miles,  and  the  government 
has  already  mounted  men  enough  in  the  territorv  to  line  the 
whole  route  with  sentinels,  standing  within  canteen's  toss  of 
each  other.  A  line  of  military  posts  established  on  the  above 
route  might  be  constructed  with  simplicity  and  economy,  and 
and  forever  afford  complete  protection  to  all  southern  Da- 


PIONEKR  LEGISLATURES  AND   INDIAN  WARS.  I  I? 

kota  and  northwestern  Iowa,  and  tlic  whole  territory  south 
of  said  forts  would  soon  be  settled  ^vith  a  i)Opulation  of  in- 
dustrious people.  One  re^c^iment  of  cavalry  could  j^arrison 
the  three  posts  and  scout  through  the  country  to  the  south, 
while  a  second  res^iment  could  protect  the  naviq-ation  df  the 
ITpper  Missouri,  to  its  a^-encies.  trading-  posts,  and  i^old 
mines;  and  the  two  regiments  thus  distributed  would  entrap 
and  kill  more  Indians  than  ten  thousand  horsemen  flyinc^ 
upon  the  fading-  warpath  of  Little  Crow.  vSince  the  repulses 
of  the  Santees  in  Minnesota  by  General  Sibley,  the  Indians 
are  undoubtedly  fearful  of  the  streng-th  of  the  whites,  and  I 
doubt  much  whether  a  body  of  500  of  their  warriors  will  ever 
again  be  met  in  battle.  They  have  divided  their  forces  and 
scattered  abroad  upon  the  plains,  and  their  plan  is  evidently 
fixed  for  a  guerilla  warfare.  Our  government  is  making 
Dakota  the  camping  ground  of  all  her  murderous  Indians, 
and  if  Minnesota,  with  a  population  of  200,000  people  was 
unable  to  defend  herself  against  these  outlaws,  it  must  cer- 
tainly be  that  the  government  will  see  the  necessity  of  send- 
ing troops  enough  to  protect  the  hves  of  a  more  helpless 
population  in  Dakota.  Before  three  months  there  will  be 
Indians  enough  landed  upon  the  ceded  lands  of  Dakota  to 
scalp  the  entire  territory  and  bum  every  town  and  hamlet  in 
our  borders.  If  the  present  government  troo])s  are  sustained 
here,  all  will  be  safe ;  if  not,  with  the  immigration  of  Indians 
we  shall  witness  an  emigration  of  whites.  But  we  will  trust 
to  the  justice  of  our  rulers,  and  if  it  is  decided  that  the  Indians 
are  more  entitled  to  Dakota  than  her  settlers,  then  we  will 
depart  for  some  other  corner  of  earth  to  till  the  soil.  Never- 
theless, we  will  not  borrow  trouble  for  the  future  :  all  may  yet 
l)e  bright  before  us. 

The  United  States  court  opened  here  last  Tuesday,  Chief 
Justi^ce  Bliss  presiding.  The  case  of  Todd  vs.  Burleigh  fell 
to  the  ground  through  the  non-appearance  of  the  plaintiff. 
No  conrt  has  been  held  in  the  First  judicial  district  for  the 
reason  that  Judge  Willeston  did  not  leave  his  home  in  Penn- 


Il8  PIOXEKR  LEGISLATURES  AND  L\J)IA.\   WARS. 

sylvania  in  time  to  reach  the  territory  and  draw  his  pay.  The 
pay  he  will  get,  however,  but  the  court  we  will  not.  It  is 
said  that  he  was  detained  at  Washington  parleying  with  the 
president  for  an  increase  of  salary  in  order  to  pay  the  extra 
freight  charged  by  the  railroads  in  transportaing  his  ponder- 
ous weight  to  the  territory.  I  think  this  is  a  mistake,  how- 
e\er.  for  if  the  judge  had  once  scjuared  his  300  pounds  before 
the  department,  his  form  would  have  been  a  crushing  argu- 
ment in  his  favor. 

Court  opens  next  week  at  Bonhonnne.  in  the  Third  judi- 
cial district.  TTon.  G.  P.  ^^  aldron  has  receixed  the  appoint- 
ment of  Pro'vost  ]\Iarshal  for  Dakota.  No  governor  has  yet 
arrived.  Surveyor  General  Hill  is  expected  at  his  ofifice  in 
a  few  days.  Adjutant  General  Booge  reached  here  on  Friday 
from  Fort  Pierre,  which  post  he  left  on  the  12th  inst.  He 
reports  no  trouble  with  the  Indians  up  to  that  date.  The 
ster.mer  I^-abella  passed  here  on  Saturday  on  her  downward 
trip  for  the  remainder  of  her  freight,  which  she  was  obliged 
to  unship  some  distance  below  on  account  of  the  low  stage 
of  water.  The  river  is  now  rising  rapidly,  and  the  Isabella 
reached  here  on  Sunday  at  two  o'clock,  on  her  return  trip, 
haxing  traveled  160  miles  and  loaded  on  100  tons  of  freight 
in  twenty-five  hours.  A  second  battalion  of  cavalry  from 
Camp  Cook  passed  through  town  on  Alonday,  for  the  fields 
of  scalps  and  tomahawks.  Two  hundred  Brule  Indians  came 
into  Fort  Randall  last  week  and  demanded  a  feast.  They 
refused  to  pitch  their  tents  on  the  grounds  pointed  out  to 
them  by  the  commander  of  the  post,  but  daringly  selected 
their  own  spot  in  close  proximity  to  the  fort.  They  received 
their  desired  feast,  however.  The  two  battalions  of  cavalry 
now  on  the  road  may  seriously  change  the  red  man's  pro- 
Sframme. 


GEXj.i<.\i.   ^l    i.l.V   SUCCEEDS   (.l-.M.K.M.   COOK. 

Yaxktox,  June  8.  1863. 
The  change  of  connuand  in   this  district,   from   General 
Cook  to  General  Sully,  is  hailed  with  gladness  by  the  i)eople 


PIONiiJiR  LliGlSLATURES  AND  INDIAN    W  AK^.  1  \ 'J 

of  the  territory.  It  may,  of  course,  be  dilTereiit  with  Iowa 
citizens;  they  have  no  cause  to  coniphiin  of  lack  of  protection 
or  patronage.  But  in  Dakota  there  has  been  a  smothered 
feehng  of  injury,  which  it  will  take  years  to  obliterate.  A 
portion  of  your  business  men  have  been  marked  and  will  be 
held  responsil)le  as  acting  in  complicity  ^^•ith  the  former  com- 
manding general,  and  effecting  a  (le])()pulation  of  large  por- 
tions of  our  farming  settlements.  Men  who  have  lived  upon 
the  patronage  of  this  territory  for  years  have  been  foremost 
in  probing  the  g-eneral  with  the  belief  that  our  cry  for  protec- 
tion was  "all  for  speculation.''  This  has  been  ])ersisted  in 
until  \ve  have  lost  a  portion  of  our  settlers,  given  our  blood 
to  the  savages,  and  have  been  reduced  to  a  suffering  territory 
at  a  time  when  forty  soldiers  would  have  prevented  all.  and 
when  eighty  of  our  own  cavalry  were  encamped  for  six  weeks 
in  your  city.  In  fact,  it  has  been  said  that  "Dakota  was  bled 
by  the  Indians  on  one  side  and  by  Sioux  City  at  the  other." 
But  such  is  not  exactly  the  feeling  at  present.  Our  people 
feel  that  a  large  majority  of  3''our  business  men  and  citizens 
are  friends  of  Dakota,  and  have  done  all  in  their  power  to 
obtain  protection  for  us  and  prevent  the  depopulation  of  our 
settlements.  But  for  those  who  have  acted  otherwise  by  us, 
the  future  of  this  valley  will  answer.  Our  former  command- 
ing general  was  no  friend  of  the  territory,  and  took  delight  in 
treating  all  our  fears  and  supplications  with  a  i)eculiar  mili- 
tarv  sneer  and  ridicule.  That  feeling  had  grown  to  be  recip- 
rocated by  our  people,  until  mothers  had  taught  their  chil- 
dren to  hate  the  name  of  Cook,  and  when  the  news  arrived 
here  of  his  supercedure  by  General  Sully,  little  boys  would 
be  seen  skipping  along  the  street  to  their  homes  singing  the 
"Tom  Paine  Elegy,"  as  follows : 

"Old  John  Cook,  now  he  dies, 
Nobody  laughs  and  nobody  cries; 
Where  he  goes  or  how  he  fares, 
Nobody  knows  and  nobody  cares." 


I20  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND   INDIAN  WARS. 

We  are  unacquainted  with  General  Sully,  but  are  informed 
that  he  combines  the  three  requisites  of  a  good  commander, 
to-wit,  age,  experience  and  judgment,  and  will  treat  with 
respect  the  wants  of  his  district. 

The  United  States  court  closed  its  labors  here  last  week. 
The  grand  jury  was  restricted  by  the  judge  in  its  time  of  sit- 
ting, immediately  upon  their  entering  into  the  investigation 
of  the  official  acts  of  our  federal  officers.  Cause  not  assignee!." 
but  well  presumed  by  the  people.  It  is  sickening  to  see  the 
league  or  chain  of  corruption  which  winds  its  poisonous 
length  through  all  the  branches  of  our  government.  De- 
frauding the  government  is  looked  upon  as  an  acknowledged 
right,  in  all  its  departments,  and  it  is  hard  to  ffiid  faithful 
officials  enough  to  investigate  the  corruption  of  the  nation. 
Yes,  our  republic  is  reeling,  not  from  war,  blood  or  the  sword, 
but  from  a  system  of  the  most  wicked  and  shameful  corrup- 
tion that  ever  disgraced  the  history  of  nations.  The  great 
temple  is  burning  over  our  heads,  and  amid  the  scamper  and 
strife  for  the  spoils  the  voice  of  warning  and  justice  is  no 
more  heard  than  the  whistle  of  a  bird  in  the  howl  of  a  hurri- 
ricane. 

G.  P.  Waldron,  provost  marshal,  has  been  arrested  and 
sent  to  Fort  Randall,  by  order  of  General  Cook.  It  is  alleged 
that  on  the  morning  of  the  killing  of  Jacobson  by  the  Indians, 
at  James  river,  ^^'aldron  sent  word  to  General  Cook  that  he 
would  shoot  him  the  next  time  he  came  into  the  territory  for 
not  sending  troops  to  protect  the  settlers.  I  am  informed 
there  was  a  personal  spite  existing  between  the  two  gentle- 
men, on  account  of  some  saucy  correspondence  that  had  pre- 
viously passed  between  them ;  and  a  summary  arrest  is  the 
wTiv  in  which  a  military  wrath  usually  vents  itself  nowadays. 

It  is  also  reported  that  Captain  Smith,  of  Cook's  staff,  has 
been  commissioned- by  Governor  Hutchinson  as  first  lieuten- 
ant in  Company  A,  Dakota  Cavalry,  in  place  of  Lieutenant 
I'^owler,  resigned.  It  is  but  just  to  say  that  the  appointment 
does  not  give  satisfaction  in  the  terrilcjry ;  not  but  that  the  ap- 


PIONEER   LEGISLATURES  AND   INDIAN  WARS.  '-• 

poiiitee  \\ill  nake  a  good  ofilcer,  but  for  the  reason  that.  tJie 
cciipany  being  eomposed  of  Dakota  volunteers,  the  ])Coi)le 
had  1  oked  for  the  position  to  be  bestowed  upon  tlie  terri- 
tory, either  by  (h'rect  appointment  or  promotion  in  tlie  ranks. 
Whatever  motive  the  governor  may  have  had  in  this  aet  must 
have  originated  outside  of  the  circle  of  his  territorial  friends, 
and  is  in  very  bad  faith  with  the  confulence  rt'iiosed  in  him  by 
his  own  people. 

The  steamer  Florence  passed  here  last  w^eek  for  Crow 
creek,  laden  with  T.300  Santce  scniaws  and  ])apooses.  whose 
yellow^  i:)ates  stuck  from  everv  crack  and  crevice  on  the  steam- 
boat, from  hold  to  hurricane  deck,  and  gave  the  boat  very 
much  the  appearance  of  a  floating  haystack  alive  with  red- 
headed w^oodpeckers.  We  have  had  seven  steamboat  arrivals 
at  our  levee  this  spring,  five  of  which  have  left  freight  for  this 
place.  Gregory  &  Bros,  are  opening  the  largest  stock  of 
dry  goods  and  groceries  ever  brought  into  the  territorK-. 
Their  goods  are  all  shipped  from  St.  Louis  and  are  landed  at 
Yankton  for  only  one-fourth  a  cent  per  pound  above  the 
freights  to  Sioux  City. 

I  am  glad  to  observe  that  we  are  receiving  a  few^  innni- 
grants  since  the  stationing  of  trooj^s  on  our  border.  Two 
farmers  last  w^eek  settled  upon  James  river  on  two  of  the 
claims  recently  abandoned  by  Norwegians.  Captain  Tripp's 
cavalry  are  constantly  scouring  the  prairies  in  all  directions, 
and  are  called  by  the  settlers  the  "Dakota  Rangers."  I  be- 
lieve there  are  brighter  days  l)efore  us. 


A  GREAT  INDIAN   EXl'lvDlTloX. 

Yankton,  July  i,  1863. 

The  Indian  expedition  has  come  and  gone.     The  advance 

guard  of  the  whole  train  reached  here  on  Wednesday  noon, 

from  which  time  there  was  one  continuous  stream  of  w'agons 

and  horsemen  pouring  into  our  little  city  from  the  ferries  on 


122  nOXHElv  I^KGISLATLRDS  AND  INDIAX   WARS. 

James  river  until  two  o'clock  on  Thursday  afternoon,  when 
the  lust  mail,  in  the  person  of  General  Sully,  arrived  and  en- 
cam])ed  witli  his  expedition  until  h^rida}-  morning.  The  gen- 
eral was  gallantly  escorted  through  the  city  by  Company  B, 
Dakcta  Cavalry,  preceded  by  an  elegant  brass  band  from  the 
Nebraska  regiment.  On  approaching  the  governor's  office, 
he  passed  between  two  lines  of  IXnkota  Cavalrv.  with  uplifted 
sabers,  and  greeted  with  thirteen  gu.ns  from  a  six-pound 
cannon,  in  the  hands  of  the  ^'ankton  Artillery  Company.  He 
was  warml}'  recei\ed  by  Governor  Hutchinson,  who  extended 
to  him  the  hospitalities  of  the  capital  city  and  the  esteem  and 
confidence  of  Dakota's  people. 

The  entire  ex])edition.  with  all  its  attendant  train  drawn 
out  upon  the  war  path,  in  single  file,  will  extend  about  three 
miles  and  a  quarter.  There  are  234  wagons,  400  cattle.  320 
mules,  2,118  horses,  4  steamboats,  and  2,500  fighting  men 
connected  with  the  expedition.  The  militaiw  strength  con- 
sists of  the  Second  Nebraska  and  Iowa  Sixth  Regiments  of 
Cavalry,  together  with  four  companies  of  the  Iowa  Seventh 
and  four  companies  of  detached  \Msconsin  Infantry,  besides 
the  two  companies  of  Dakota  Ca^'alry  which  are  left  on  the 
border  for  the  protection  of  the  settlements.  They  have  set 
out  with  100  days'  rations,  and  will  proceed  up  the  Alissouri 
at  least  to  a  point  near  Fort  Pierre,  at  which  place  they  will 
establish  a  provision  depot,  the  steamers  will  discharge  their 
freight  and  return,  and  the  expedition  will  leave  the  river  and 
strike  across  the  plains  for  Devil's  lake,  or  General  Crow's 
headquarters,  where  it  is  expected  the  red  warriors  will  be 
found  in  full  force.  General  Sibley,  with  the  Minnesota  ex- 
pedition, will  arrive  there  about  the  same  time.  On  the  re- 
turn of  Sully's  command  his  forces  will  be  divided  so  as  to 
scour  the  whole  region  from  the  British  line  downward. 

It  is  truly  to  be  hoped  that  the  campaign  will  prove  a  suc- 
cessful one,  for  it  has  already  cost  the  Government  over^ 
$2,000,000  to  set  the  expedition  on  foot,  and  its  current  ex- 
pense is  now  upwards  of  $4,000  per  day.     It  is  by  all  odds 


PION1:;l:R   IvKGISI,  \TI'KI;s    and   INDIAN    W  ARs.  123 

the  most  formidable  ex])e(lition  e\er  sent  out  aj^'-ainst  the 
liuliaiis  upon  this  continent.  vSuch  a  force  will  fri.i^Hiten  all 
the  hostile  tribes  beyond  the  British  border,  and  it  is  doubt- 
ful whether  we  shall  hear  of  any  battle  with  Indians  dur- 
ino-  the  summer,  unless  they  are  brouL^ht  on  throu,<;h  stratc.^y 
or  intended  councils  or  treaties.  Still  the  ponderous  train 
will  ha\e  an  imposini^-  effect  on  all  the  tribes  of  the  .\orthwesi. 
in  the  way  of  exhibiting-  the  nrlitary  strength  of  the  L^oNern- 
ment  to  the  many  chiefs  and  bands  who  believe  the  redmen 
are  more  numerous  than  the  white  race.  I  doubt  much 
whether  we  shall  ever  be  troubled  with  Indians  in  this  valley 
hereafter.  A  g;reat  war  trail  will  be  oi)ened  through  the  heart 
of  the  redman's  country,  which  will  always  be  traversed  by  a 
nn'litary  force  for  the  protection  of  government  ])roperty  at 
the  new  agencies  recently  established  in  the  territory. 

A  brighter  day  is  dawning  upon  l)akf)ta,  and  its  conn'ng 
is  felt  and  realized  by  our  settlers,  who  have  gone  to  work 
with  reneAved  zeal,  tilling  their  crops  and  improving  their 
homes.  '  Corn  is  selHng  at  eighty  cents  and  potatoes  at  $1.50 
per  bushel  to  feed  our  nczu  Indians  upon,  and  so  long  as  their 
appetites  are  good  so  long  will  prices  be  better.  These  In- 
d'ans  are  costing  the  government  more  than  the  original  \alue 
of  all  their  lands,  and  they  should  now  be  dealt  \vith  in  that 
light.  Our  troops  are  now  on  the  longest  and  dreariest 
march  on  the  continent  to  punish  these  treacherous  murder- 
ers for  the  most  wanton  and  wholesale  slaughter  known  in 
the  annals  of  Indian  warfare,  and  \vhen  the  long  train  left  here 
on  Friday  morning,  winding  its  length  over  the  smoky  hills 
for  the  far  ofif  boundless  plains  of  the  red  man,  and  followed 
by  two  steamers  tugging  up  the  river,  laden  with  rations  for 
the  army,  I  was  impressed  with  the  greatness  of  our  govern- 
ment, whose  flag  flutters  upon  the  hill  tops  of  the  West  and 
on  every  sea  of  the  world.  May  she  weather  the  storms  that 
are  upon  her,  and  rise  anew  in  her  glory ! 

The  expedition  is  expected  to  return  by  October,  "with 
scalps  enough  to  carpet  Pennsylvania  avenue  from  the  presi- 
dent's mansion  to  the  capitol," 


124  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND   INDIAN  WARS. 

Nothing  of  particular  note  is  occurring  in  local  matters. 
Company  A,  Dakota  Cavalry,  is  expected  at  ^^ermillion  this 
week,  where  they  will  be  stationed  for  the  summer.  The 
steamer  Florence  reached  here  on  the  21st  ult.,  and  dis- 
charged a  heavy  stock  of  merchandise  for  Bramble  &  Co. 
Twelve  steamboats  have  arrived  here  since  the  6th  of  May. 
One  hundred  Indian  })onies  were  taken  through  here  to-day 
for  the  new  agencies.  Seven  Indians  were  recently  killed 
thirty  miles  fron;  Fort  Randall  by  a  detachment  of  cavalry, 
it  is  said  :hat  they  were  "friendly  copperheads."  two  of  them 
being  Yanktons  and  the  others  Brules.  But  all  Indians  are 
"friendly"  before  an  array  of  muskets,  but  thev  are  horrid 
butchers  among  defenseless  women  and  children. 


Yankton,  July  29,  1863. 

Nothing  of  particular  note  has  transpired  in  Dakota  since 
my  last  letter.  All  is  peace  and  quiet  in  our  settlements  since 
the  advent  of  the  expedition  into  the  territory  and  the  sta- 
tioning of  troops  on  the  borders.  Detachments  of  Com- 
panies A  and  B  of  Dakota  Cavalry  are,  by  order  of  General 
Sully,  constantly  patrolling  the  country  from  the  capitol  to 
the  Big  Sioux  river,  on  a  line  leading  back  from  the  Missouri 
and  in  the  rear  of  all  the  settlements.  Their  headquarters  are 
at  Yankton  and  Vermillion.  Above  here,  and  between  this 
and  Fort  Pierre,  there  are  stationed  six  companies,  part  cav- 
alry and  ])art  infantry,  assigned  to  the  duty  of  protecting  the 
intermediate  posts  and  agencies,  and  affording  security  to 
boats  navigating  the  river. 

The  Nebraska  border,  however,  on  the  other  shore  of  this 
stream,  is  left  entirely  unprotected  below  Fort  Randall,  and 
in  consequence  thereof  the  Indians  have  become  emboldened 
to  enter  the  settlements  and  connnit  a  most  shocking  murder. 
The  family  of  Mrs.  Wiseman,  living  ten  miles  from  St.  •lames, 
Nebraska,  was  last  Thursday  attacked  by  a  small  party  of  In- 


PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND   INDIAN   WARS.  1^5 

(Hans,  and  three  of  the  chiich^en  murdered  outrij^^ht  and  two 
of  them  seriously  wounded.  The  parents  were  at  the  time 
absent;  the  mother  was  in  this  villaj^e  disposing-  of  some  arti- 
cles she  had  brought  to  market,  and  the  father  is  in  the  Indian 
expedition  now  moving  up  the  river.  It  is  believed  l)y  those 
well  acquainted  with  Indian  warfare  that  this  murder  was 
committed  by  the  Brules.  and  was  per])etrated  for  the  ])urpose 
of  avenging  the  death  of  the  five  of  their  tribe  who  were  killed 
among  the  seven  Indians  recently  attacked  and  shot  by  a  de- 
tachment of  cavalry  from  Fort  Randall.  If  this  be  the  mode 
of  the  red  man's  indemnification,  requiring  blood  for  blood, 
we  shall  soon  expect  to  see  two  of  the  white  settlers  of  Dakota 
fall  by  the  knife  or  tomahawk,  to  atone  for  the  blood  of  the 
two  Yanktons  who  were  killed  by  the  same  detachment  of 
cavalry.  As  I  once  before  stated,  it  is  certainly  a  bad  policy 
for  the  government  to  open  a  promiscuous  and  indiscriminate 
slaughter  among  all  the  Indians  of  the  Northwest  whether 
peaceful  or  hostile.  It  is  like  declaring  war  against  the  whole 
South  for  the  revolt  of  one  of  its  states  and  thereby  drawing 
the  sword  upon  friend  and  foe,  loyalists  and  disloyalists. 

True,  after  the  horrid  butcheries  committed  by  these  sav- 
ages in  Minnesota,  it  is  hard  for  white  men  to  withhold 
their  wrath  in  the  presence  of  Indians.  But  it  should  be  re- 
membered that  there  are  tribes  of  friendly  Indians  in  Dakota, 
and  if  all  of  them,  irrespective  of  their  signals  of  amity,  are  to 
be  shot  down  upon  the  plains,  then  the  government  will  have 
upon  her  hands  all  the  Indians  of  the  Northwest  in  armed  re- 
bellion, and  wreaking  their  ill-directed  vengeance  upon  the 
defenseless  settlements.  In  such  a  case  the  whole  army  of 
the  Potomac  could  not,  in  ten  years,  ferret  out  and  annihilate 
the  40,000  Indians  that  swarm  over  the  vast  plains  between 
Red  river  and  the  mountains.  Since  the  killing  of  the  seven 
Indians  above  mentioned.  General  Sully  has  very  judiciously 
issued  an  order  in  which  is  found  the  following  directions  to 
the  commanders  of  patrolling  detachments:  "Should  they 
meet  anv  Indians  on  their  tour,  they  will  take  them  i)risoners. 


126  moXllKR    T.i:(",  IST.ATl'RKS    AM)   I  \  D  I  A  X   WARS. 

and  luring  them  in  for  fiitnre  investigation.  Should  the  In- 
dians run  from  them,  they  will  be  considered  hosfilc,  and 
treated  accordingly." 

It  is  reported  to-day  that  an  "Indian  sign"  has  been  found 
in  the  point  of  woods  on  James  river.  The  sign  consists  of 
a  medicine  bag.  hung  upon  a  pole,  and  is  said  by  old  trappers 
to  l)e  hung  out  as  a  signal  that  Indians  had  passed  there,  and 
that  they  can  travel  among  us  unseen  notwithstanding  our 
country  is  spotted  with  soldiers. 

A  detachment  of  Captain  Trii)p's  cavalry  crossed  over  the 
river  at  this  place  on  the  steamer  West  ^^'ind  to-day  for  the 
])urpose  of  patrolling  along  the  Nel)raska  shore  m  quest  of 
the  straggling  Indians  who  committed  the  recent  massacre  at 
St.  James.  A  small  squad  of  Company  A  cavalry  has  also 
been  dispatched  across  the  river  at  X'ermillifMi.  by  Lieutenant 
Bacon. 

The  steamer  Robert  Campbell,  an  her  retiu'u  trip  from  the 
mountains,  arrived  at  our  levee  last  evening",  and  left  this 
morning.  She  brings  alarming  tidmgs  from  the  upper  In- 
dians. The  steamer  Alone  was  boarded  by  300  Sioux  above 
the  mouth  of  the  ^'ellow  Stone,  and  literally  robbed  of  all  the 
most"  valuable  portions  of  her  cargo,  such  as  groceries,  pro- 
visions and  ammunition.  Her  men  ofiered  no  resistance,  and 
hence  not  a  man  was  injured.  The  Shreveport,  which  w  as 
the  first  boat  up  the  river,  had  l)y  some  good  fortune,  reached 
the  mountains  and  returned  without  being-  seriousl}-  annoyed 
by  Indians.  Above  the  Yellowstone  river  the  Robert  Camp- 
bell and  one  of  the  c()m])any's  boats  were  attacked  by  a  large 
body  of  Sioux,  when  a  battle  ensued,  lasting  o\er  an  hour,  in 
which  three  men  were  shot  on  the  deck  of  the  steamer, 
and  from  thirty  to  forty  Indians  killed  upon  the  shore.  Cajv 
tain  RaBarge.  from  whom  1  obtained  ihis  information,  was  en- 
gaged in  the  battle,  and  reports  that  the  Ind'ans  haxe  become 
emboldened  to  these  daring  deeds  by  the  >lo\\  movement 
of  the  expedition,  he  not  ha\ing  seen  a  soldier  north  of  h'ort 
I'ierre  on  a  j(jurne\'  of  i.ioo  miles  of  ri\er  na\igation  throuL^h 


PI0NP:ER  legislatures   AM)  IXDTAX   WARS.  12; 

the  Indian  country.  General  Sully's  conunand.  he  states,  is 
nioving  up  the  river  in  battalions,  and  were  seen  from  the  boat 
marching  along  the  east  shore  all  the  way  from  Crow  creek 
to  Fort  Pierre.  The  grass  and  trees  in  tlie  upper  counlrv 
were  parched  to  a  crisp  by  the  unremitting  drouth.  Si.x  hun- 
dred miles  of  prairie  are  burnt  off  by  Indians  above  h'ort  Ber- 
thold  to  prevent  the  advance  of  troops.  General  Sully  was 
using  every  means  in  his  power  to  press  forward  with  his  army 
and  reach  the  region  of  the  ho.stile  tribes.  He  impressed  one 
of  the  company's  boats  into  the  service,  and  turned  her  up  the 
river  with  su])plies.  Late  rains  had  conunenced  falling  in  that 
country,  and  it  was  hoped  by  the  conmiander  that  the  plains 
would  soon  l)e  clothed  in  a  new  growth  of  grass  which  would 
enable  him  to  carry  out  the  designs  of  the  expedition. 

It  is  the  belief  of  Captain  LaBarge  that,  if  the  troops  fail 
to  overtake  and  punish  those  tribes  this  season,  or  are  with- 
drawn from  that  country  during  the  winter,  the  government 
will  be  obliged  to  abandon  the  navigation  of  the  upj^er  Mis- 
souri until  the  Indians  see  fit  to  raise  their  blockade.  He  as- 
serts that  it  is  more  useless  to  iiunt  for  Indians  than  rattle- 
snakes, and  that  the  only  mode  of  ever  entrapping  these  "red 
birds"  is  to  station  small  detachments  of  troops  at  every  post 
and  town  on  the  river,  and  keep  them  there  until  the  Indians 
are  starved  oft'  from  the  plains  and  come  into  the  valley  for 
subsistence,  which  would  not  take  a  long  time  if  the  govern- 
ment and  fur  companies'  goods  were  kept  away  from  them 
during  the  time.  He  thinks,  moreover,  that  a  reward  shinild 
be  offered  bv  the  government  for  Sioux  scalps,  and  let  the 
people  of  the  territory  ])and  themselves  together  and  assist  in 
executing  the  business,  and  in  less  than  six  months  the  fur 
would  fly  in  this  valley  like  a  snow-storm.  All  jx^aceful  tribes 
should  1)6  ordered  onto  their  reservat'ons  until  the  work  is  fin- 
ished. The  present  expedition,  even  for  this  season,  will  cost 
the  government  at  the  rate  of'$[50  for  every  Sioux  scalp  in 
the  Northwest,  whether  taken  or  not.  Competent  "contrac- 
tors" will  take  this  job  off  the  hands  of  the  Tniled  Slater  for 
twentN'-fi\e  doiIars  a  scalp. 


128  PIONEER  LEGISLATIRES  AND   IXDIAN  WARS. 

By  the  way,  speaking  of  contracts  calls  my  attention  to 
Surveyor  General  Hill's  contractors,  whom  he  has  again 
brought  from  Michigan,  and  has  set  them  to  feeding  upon 
the  vitals  of  the  territory.  Out  of  $10,000  appropriated  for 
surveys  in  Dakota,  he  cleverly  says  he  has  $1,000  to  expend 
for  the  benefit  of  the  territory:  the  rest  must  be  carried  back 
to  the  States,  ^^'e  have  before  condemned  the  course  of  this 
ofificial  so  often  that  we  are  tired  of  talking,  but  we  are  en- 
couraged, however,  to  see  that  his  own  friends— his  own 
party,  even — are  at  last  casting  him  off.  and  publicly  de- 
nouncing his  policy  in  their  official  paper. 

Since  1 86 1  $24,000  have  been  appropriated  for  surveys  in 
Dakota,  and  there  has  not  been  enough  of  that  money  dis- 
bursed among  actual  residents  of  the  territory  to  build  a  re- 
spectable dwelling  house.  I  have  sometimes  been  accused 
by  official  papers  of  talking  harshly  of  the  administration, 
but  if  I  was  ever  prone  to  condemn  the  administration  it  was 
through  the  shameful  conduct  and  example  of  such  shining 
ligiits  of  the  administration  as  George  D.  Hill.  This  man  is 
loud  in  his  cries  of  "Loyalty  to  the  Union,"  "Down  with  Cop- 
perheads." "Death  to  traitors."  while  by  his  own  traitorous 
example  he  is  injuring  the  cause  of  his  government  more  than 
all  the  "Copperheads"  in  Dakota.  Still,  he  loves  the  admin- 
istration ;  of  course,  he  does.  So  the  serpent  loves  the  blood 
of  its  victim ;  so  the  midnight  ruffian  loves  the  form  of  inno- 
cence;  and  so  G.  D.  Hill,  Esq.,  loves  the  "heart  of  his  coun- 
tr}'."  He  is  a  big  Hill  to  climb  over,  and  I  will  leave  him  to 
his  own  party,  for  I  am  sure  they  will  cither  grade  him  down 
or  make  a  hole  through  him. 


Yaxktox.  Sept.  8.  1863. 
Election  is  over,  and  many  more  men  are  defeated  than 
elected.      Xo  election  campaign  in  Dakota  ever  came  upon 
the  i)eople  and  ])assed  off  with  so  little  labor  and  so  short  a 


PIONIiJjR  LKGISI^ATURES   AND  INJJIA.N    WARS.  1^9 

canvass  as  the  one  which  ended  yesterday.  In  many  counties 
no  nominating  conventions  were  called,  while  in  other  dis- 
tricts they  were  only  convened  a  few  days  before  election,  in 
order  to  prepare  a  ticket.  A/Iany  little  issues  were  conse- 
quently sprung,  some  local,  some  political,  but  more  that 
were  bitterly  personal;  issues  wliich  would  have  been  consid- 
ered of  ruinous  importance  in  a  better  natured  campaign.  In 
this  county  the  election  was  fiercely,  and,  in  some  instances, 
brutally  contested,  and  I  am  sorry  to  say  reflected  no  great 
credit  upon  the  politics  or  morals  of  the  capital  city. 

Many  provoking  personalities  were  indulged  in.  whicii. 
when  mingled  with  strong  drink,  gave  vent  in  manifestations 
of  cudgels,  clenched  fists  and  cut  faces.  The  main  issue,  how- 
ever, was  party;  but  even  the  dignity  of  a  party  contest  was 
buried  deep  in  the  rubbish  and  wreck  of  selfish  and  personal 
motives  and  purposes. 

The  Republicans  in  this  county,  I  must  admit,  have  gained 
a  square,  unmistakable  victory.  The  majorities,  though  small, 
are  decisive  and  uniform  throughout  their  ticket. 

It  is  alleged,  as  usual,  by  the  defeated  party  that  fraud  was 
resorted  to  by  their  opponents,  and  so  strong  was  the  feeling 
manifested  on  the  part  of  a  few  that  the  ballot  box  was  hurled 
from  the  window  and  lost  in  the  crowd,  after  the  judges  had 
canvassed  the  votes  and  were  seated  round  the  table.  But 
box  or  no  box,  we  were  neatly  whipped,  and  the  only  fraud  I 
know  of  is,  that  the  Republicans  had  too  many  votes  for  us. 
Clay  county  has  elected  two  Democrats  to  the  council  and  a 
mixed  house.  Shober  is  elected  in  Bonhomme  county,  and 
Gregory  and  Wherry  in  Todd  county.  Further  than  this  I 
am  unable  to  speak.  The  Republican  party  brought  to  bear 
all  their  heavy  guns  upon  this,  the  capital  county,  and  drove 
our  gallant  party  into  defeat. 

General  Sully's  expedition  is  about  to  return.  When  last 
heard  from  he  was  proceeding  rapidly  to  Painted  Woods  and 
Fort  Berthold,  to  intercept  and  fight  the  flying  Sioux.  He 
had  left  all  unnecessary  subsistence  wagons,  and  was  intend- 


130  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS. 

ing-  to  make  one  bold,  rapid  dash  at  the  hostile  tribes  before 
returning  to  winter  quarters. 

By  official  information  recently  received  from  Major  Gen- 
eral Pope,  it  is  established  that  the  Iowa  Sixth,  three  com- 
panies of  Iowa  Seventh,  and  the  Dakota  companies  will  all  be 
left  in  the  territory  during  the  winter  to  renew  their  war 
against  the  Indians  next  season. 

It  is  no  longer  my  province  to  chastise  our  officials,  for 
the  Dakotan  has  taken  that  duty  upon  itself,  and  has  played  it 
as  its  strong  card  in  the  election  canvass.  I  hope  it  will  con- 
tinue in  its  "consistent"  and  newly  espoused  labors,  and  never 
again  accuse  me  of  being  "inconsistent"  for  dealing  my  feeble 
blows  at  the  great  men  w-hom  it  now  delights  to  lieat  with 
heavy  strokes.  Its  pluck  and  ability  has  infused  new  life  into 
the  territory,  and  although  we  live  on  the  borders  of  Indian 
rumors  and  murders,  the  future  brightens  and  improvements 
are  progressing. 

Stragghng  Indians  in  the  rear  of  Sully's  command  continue 
to  endanger  the  travel  in  the  upper  country.  At  Choteau 
creek,  on  the  line  of  the  Yankton  reserve,  four  Indians  last 
Friday  attacked  the  United  States  mail,  shot  one  man  dead 
and  stole  the  stage  horses.  The  mail  bag  was  brought  into 
this  place  covered  with  blood.      Forty  cavalry  are  in  pursuit. 


I'OI.ITICIANS    AND    INDIANS. 

Yankton,  Sept.  28.  1863. 
Dakota  is  noted  for  the  freaks  of  her  politicians  and  In- 


dians. 


The   first  arc   tricky;   the  second  arc  evil; 

Neither  one  has  a  trail  you  can  travel; 

And  to  follow  them  both,  I'm  sure  it  would  trouble 

The  wit  of  the  gods  or  the  scent  of  the  devil. 

For  Satan  has  bargained  with  these  bad  men 

To  take  Dakota  to  hell  if  they  can. 


PIONEER  LEGISLATURES   AND  INDIAN   WARS.  I.^I 

The  political  parties  of  the  territory  are  in  a  bewildering 
chaos  of  disorder.  "No  strict  party  organizations  have  ever 
been  effected,  and  hence  we  fmd  men  shifting  their  political 
signboards  to  suit  the  gale  of  every  annual  election. 

Patronage,  not  principle,  molds  the  complexion  of  our 
pohtical  parties,  and  it  matters  not  into  how  many  little 
cliques  and  feuds  a  party  may  be  divided,  the  leader  of  each 
squad  considers  himself  the  head  and  front  of  the  "Oreat 
Union  Party"  of  the  territory. 

In  this  situation  we  are  consequently  supplied  with  a  large 
ratio  of  dictators — the  political  doctrine  of  each  of  whom  it  is 
treason  to  disobey,  and  brings  down  upon  the  head  of  the  dis- 
obedient the  heavy  cognomen  of  '"Copperhead." "  Hence  they 
are  already  making  the  Copperhead  party  in  Dakota  too  large 
to  be  managable,  by  classing  in  that  party  such  men  as  the 
supreme  judge,  attorney  general  and  provost  marshal  of  the 
territory,  and  resorting  to  military  orders  and  arrests  to  pre- 
vent United  States  soldiers  from  attending  the  polls  and 
voting  the  "Copperhead  ticket."  We  are  unwilling  to  believe 
that  these  officials,  or  any  other  than  citizen  soldiers  at  the 
capitol,  should  be  called  "Copperheads,"  or  sympathizers  with 
the  rebels,  simply  because  they  did  not  vote  the  entire  "Un- 
conditional Union  Ticket"  at  our  little  county  election. 
There  were  candidates  upon  that  ticket  who  are  nuich  later, 
and,  therefore,  more  rabid  converts  to  the  Republican  faith, 
than  some  men  to  be  found  upon  the  People's  Ticket.  The 
Dakotian,  under  its  new  proprietorship,  finds  itself  unable  to 
please  the  multifarious  cliques  of  the  administration  party,  and 
it  therefore  adheres  to  one  and  lets  loose  its  thunder  upon  the 
others.  Hence,  there  is  a  threatened  divorce  in  the  wigwam, 
and  the  great  fathers  have  become  incensed  at  the  saucy  blows 
received  from  their  adopted  son.  They  demand  his  head, 
and,  like  the  gods  of  old  when  betrayed  by  the  son  of  Pheo- 
bus,  they  declare  that  his  fate  shall  be  that  of — 


132  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS. 

The  youth,  who,  sky-born,  asked  without  delay, 

To  guide  the  sun's  bright  chariot  [Dakcftian]   for  a  day; 

The  gods  repented  of  the  oath  they  took. 

And  thrice  their  radiant  heads  in  anguish  shook; 

Our  son,  said  they,  some  other  proof  require, 

Rash  was  our  promise,  rash  is  thy  desire — 

Scarce  was  the  boy  upon  the  chariot  raised. 

When  wild  through  heaven  the  fiery  charger  blazed; 

At  once,  from  life,  and  from  the  chariot  driven, 

Th'  ambitious  boy  fell  thunderstruck  from  heaven; 

Swift  to  Earth  his  blasted  corpse  was  hurled, 

And  found  a  grave  far  in  the  western  world. 

Which  one  will  find  the  pohtical  'grave'  remains  to  be 
seen.  The  Dakofian.  however,  is  determined  to  fight  while 
living,  and  thereupon  sets  itself  back  upon  its  stubborn  heels. 
and  shakes  its  spunky  fist  plump  in  the  face  of  our  ofTficials, 
.sparing-  a  few  only  of  its  chosen  exceptions.  Let  us  bid  the 
Dakotian  god-speed  in  its  terrible  adventure,  and  tender  it 
the  consolation  so  much  prized  by  O'Flinigan,  who,  clinging 
to  the  saw-log  as  it  rolled  dashing  from  the  hill-side,  after- 
wards examined  his  broken  bones,  and  was  thankful  for  the 
poor  sympathy  of  being  assured  that  he  was  "on  top  half  of 
the  time." 

In  every  county  throughout  the  territory  split  tickets  are 
elected,  except  in  Yankton  and  Todd  counties,  in  the  former 
of  which  the  unconditional  union  men  were  triumphant,  and 
in  the  latter  the  Democrats.  Cole  and  Bonhomme  coun- 
ties are  contested.  Clay  elects  Democratic  council  and  op- 
position house.  The  politics  of  the  legislature  will  be  as 
spotted  as  the  measles,  and  perhaps  as  contagious.  The  com- 
ing session  will  be  the  most  stormy  one  ever  assembled  in  the 
territory.  When  the  great  day  comes,  like  John  Gilpin,  I 
shall  '"be  there  to  see,"'  and  shall  wear  glasses,  stoga  boots,  go 
bareheaded,  and  .shall  steal  stationer}'  enough  to  write  you  a 
letter  every  week. 

General  Sully  has,  at  last,  met  with  the  Indians,  and  the 
expedition  is  returning.  So  many  conflicting  reports  are  in 
circulation  that  it  is  dif^cult  to  determine  the  true  particulars 


PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS.  133 

of  the  fight,  until  the  General  makes  his  official  report. 
Enough  is  known,  however,  to  confirm  the  fact  that  he  has 
encountered  and  routed  an  encampment  of  over  200  lodges 
of  Indians,  comprising  ahout  i.ooo  warriors  and  a  corre- 
sponding number  of  women  and  children ;  that  he  killed  and 
wounded  in  the  engagement  over  200  savages,  and  captured 
130  prisoners  of  all  sexes  and  ages.  His  own  loss  was  nine- 
teen killed. 

The  enemy's  force  was  composed  mostly  of  Yanktonnais 
and  Minnesota  Sioux,  and  were  the  same  who  engaged  Sib- 
ley's command.  The  prisoner's  report  that  Sibley  inflicted 
but  slight  punishment  upon  the  Indians  by  his  three  days' 
pursuit  and  long  range  firing,  and  finally  withdrew,  with  more 
of  his  men  killed  than  was  lost  by  the  enemy,  and  that  they 
were,  at  the  present  battle,  returning  upon  his  war  path  to 
winter  in  tine  Yanktonais  countrv,  near  Devil's  lake. 

All  their  winter's  supply  was  captured  and  burned  in  the 
late  engagement,  and  they  are  left  in  a  starving  condition  to 
roam  like  hungry  wolves  over  the  vast  plains  in  search  of 
food.  It  is  said  that  the  battle  was  commenced  contrary  to 
General  Sulh^'s  order,  and  before  the  Indians  were  com- 
pletely surrounded,  as  intended.  The  Nebraska  regiment, 
impatient  for  the  fight,  dismounted,  and  leaving  every  fourth 
man  in  charge  of  the  horses,  marched  right  in  .lipon, 
the  Indians  and  drove  them  straight  through  the  partially 
formed  line  of  the  Sixth.  Darkness  settled  upon  the  field 
and  prevented  pursuit.  But  this  is  rumor,  and  I  give  it  only 
as  such  until  the  general's  report  explains  the  matter. 

His  command  had  been  eleven  days  on  half  rations,  and 
the  horses  were  so  worn  and  jaded  that  pursuit  on  the  fol- 
lowing day  proved  to  be  ineffectual  in  overtaking  the  enemy. 
For  twenty  miles  along  their  bloody  trail,  were  to  be  found 
heaps  of  from  twelve  to  twenty  Indians  thrown  together  in 
small  coolies  and  pit  holes  dug  for  the  purpose.  The  vast 
stacks  of  dried  bufifalo  meat  which  were  l)urned  for  two  days 
after  the  battle  formed  actual  rivulets  of  running  fat,  resemb- 


134  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS. 

line:  little  water  courses.  It  is  a  curious  fact,  that  all  the  sol- 
diers  who  were  left  dead  on  the  field  during  the  night  were 
found  next  morning  completely  stripped  of  arms  and  uni- 
form. Lieutenant  Leavitt,  of  the  Iowa  Sixth,  lay  all  night 
wounded  upon  the  field  unperceived,  having  crawled  to  the 
side  of  a  dead  horse  and  wrapped  himself  in  a  robe,  and  the 
next  day  crept  to  the  camp  of  the  regiment  and  died  at  noon. 

The  Second  Nebraska  is  now  at  Fort  Randall,  on  its  way 
home  to  be  mustered  out  of  service,  their  time  having  expired, 
with  the  exception  of  two  companies.  The  Iowa  vSixth,  with 
General  Sully,  are  near  the  mouth  of  Medicine  creek  (the  line 
of  the  ceded  land),  building  a  new  fort  and  providing  hay  for  a 
battalion  to  be  stationed  there  during  the  winter.  A  battal- 
ion is  to  be  left  at  Fort  Randall,  and  a  sufficient  force  at  all 
intermediate  .^settlements  for  the  comi^lete  protection  of  the 
border  from  Sioux  City  to  Fort  Pierre. 

Captain  Tripp  has  returned  from  his  reconnoitre  to  Dirt 
Lodges  and  vSnake  river  in  pursuit  of  the  mail  robbers  and 
murderers  of  Trask.  "Grey  Face,"  a  friendly  Yankton,  was 
out  as  guide  and  interpreter.  They  struck  the  trail  of  the 
murderers,  and  also  found  the  hat  of  the  lamented  Trask  and 
two  folded  newspapers  perforated  with  ball  holes.  They  fol- 
lowed the  trail  into  a  country  of  hills  and  springs,  between 
the  James  and  Missouri,  where  the  rocks  and  trees  were 
]:)ainted  in  various  colors  with  Indian  signs. 

On  one  large  stone  was  the  print  of  a  human  hand,  as 
though  dipped  in  blood  and  struck  ujion  the  face  of  the  rock. 
On  James  river  they  came  in  sight  of  a  lone  Indian  on  horse- 
back, who,  on  being  discovered,  flew  like  the  very  wind 
over  hill,  valley  and  plain,  and  was  pursued  for  a  distance  of 
fifteen  miles  when  he  finally  disappeared  in  the  marshes  of  the 
river.  It  is  beheved  from  this  reconnoissance  that  there  is  no 
formidable  body  of  Indians  on  the  ceded  lands.  I  under 
stand  that  the  commanding  general  has  warned  the  isolated 
settlements  to  be  on  the  alert  for  small  parties  who  will  en- 
deavor to  make  good  the  loss  of  their  w  inter's  provisions  by 


PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS.  1.35 

.stealing  from  defenseles.s  settlers  and  unprotected  wag-on 
trains.  A  great  work  has  been  achieved  by  General  Sully 
for  the  people  of  Dakota  and  the  general  government,  and  if 
he  can  have  but  one  more  season  to  carry  on  this  war  in  his 
own  way  he  will  teach  the  murderous  hordes  of  savages  that 
the  hand  of  retriI)ution  is  swift  and  terrible,  and  that  although 
their  haunts  are  far  in  the  wilderness,  their  own  soil  shall  vet 
drink  their  blood  and  conceal  the  bones  and  tomahawks  of 
their  wicked  nation.  The  day  is  da\vning  when  there  shall 
be  peace  and  prosperity  for  Dakota  and  her  people. 


Yankton,  Nov.  4.  1S63. 

General  Sully  has  proved  himself  Dakota's  deliverer. 
No  more  the  hostile  Sioux  lurks  in  our  noonday  pathway, 
or  flits,  ghost-like,  through  the  visions  of  our  feverish  night 
dreams.  The  Indians  have  learned  to  fear  the  arm  of  the 
white  man.  and  they  have  retreated  from  the  settlements, 
and  fallen  back  upon  the  great  plains  to  take  up  their  al)odes 
in  the  ri^'er  valleys,  and  subsist  through  the  long,  snowy, 
moons  of  the  coming  winter.  The  commander  of  the  dis- 
trict, like  a  true  friend  of  the  people  and  servant  to  his  gov- 
ernment, has  distributed  his  forces  for  winter  quarters  among 
all  the  important  settlements  of  the  territory,  and  the  result 
is,  that  we  have  now  a  chain  of  garrisoned  posts  extending 
from  Sioux  Falls  City  260  miles  westward,  along  the  Mis- 
souri river  to  Fort  Sully,  near  the  boundary  line  of  Indian 
territory,  thereby  affording  complete  protection  to  every  set- 
tlement on  the  ceded  lands  of  Dakota. 

A  small  party  of  government  surveyors,  comprising  not 
over  a  dozen  men,  have  recently  returned  from  their  field  of 
labor,  lying  between  Sioux  Falls  and  James  river,  some  forty 
miles  from  settlement,  and  report  that  no  recent  tracks,  trails 
or  camp  grounds  of  Indians  were  discovered  on  their  tour  of 
four  weeks,  and  that  after  the  first  few  nights  no  guard  was 


136  PIOXEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS. 

stationed  and  their  horses  Avere  picketed  out  many  yards 
from  the  tent,  yet  no  alarm  or  disturbance  occurred. 

From  a  few  old  and  well-worn  paths  found  imbedded  in 
this  season's  grass,  it  is  evident  that  quite  considerable  bodies 
of  Indians  have  visited  the  valleys  of  the  James  and  Vermil- 
Hon  rivers  during-  the  early  part  of  the  summer.  The  ap- 
pearance of  soldiers  on  our  borders  and  the  bloody  battle 
of  ^^'hite  Stone  Hills  has  undoubtedly  turned  the  face  of 
these  savages  farther  toward  the  setting  sun.  Next  spring's 
grass,  however,  may  bring  them  to  our  doors  again,  but  we 
have  now  in  our  midst  a  general  with  men  enough  to  hurl 
death  into  the  Sioux  nation  should  they  venture  too  far  upon 
our  settlements. 

Some  of  the  settlers  who  fled  from  the  territory  during 
last  spring-'s  panic  have  lately  returned  to  their  homes,  bring- 
ing others  with  them.  They  report  that  a  colony  of  100 
Norwegian  families  are  to  leave  \A'^isconsin  for  Dakota  next 
April.  ^ 

In  this  connection,  I  desire  to  urge  upon  the  commander 
of  the  district  the  propriety  and  political  economy  of  estab- 
lishing a  line  of  small  frontier  military  posts,  as  set  forth  in 
my  letter  of  November  27th,  and  extending  from  Sioux^ 
Falls  via  James  river  rapids  to  Fort  Randall,  thus  passing- 
back  of  and  protecting  all  the  settlements  in  southern  Da- 
kota. A  post  on  this  line  at  James  river  would  stand  about 
thirty  miles  above  its  mouth.  A  military  road  connecting 
these  points  would  pass  by  the  old  Vermillion  crossing  and 
the  head  of  Turkey  creek,  and  would  not  exceed  130  miles 
in' length.  The  most  desirable  portion  of  the  ceded  lands 
of  the  territory  is  situated  south  of  said  route,  and  all  the  farm- 
ing settlements  in  Dakota  are  located  on  the  same  tract  of 
country.  Five  hundred  soldiers  would  be  sufficient  to  guard 
the  whole  line,  and  afford  complete  protection  to  all  south- 
ern Dakota,  and  even  northern  Iowa,  by  extending-  the  line 
to  Spirit  lake.  Rude  log  forts,  comfortable  for  men  and 
horses,  could  be  constructed  on  this  line  with  dispatch,  sim- 


PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS.  137 

plicity  and  economy,  and  would  save  the  j^ovcrnmcnt.  in 
future,  the  enormous  expenditure  of  projectinq-  ponderous 
expeditions  over  the  lon.f^-  and  barren  waste  of  our  northern 
plains  in  pursuit  of  a  frying  foe. 

And  here  I  wish  to  offer  a  word  in  behalf  of  our  new 
neighbors,  the  Winnebago  Indians.  There  is  now  about  too 
of  these  pitiable  creatures  at  this  place,  who  have  been  taken 
prisoners  during  the  last  week  while  attempting  to  pass  the 
towm  in  their  canoes.  They  are  sadly  dissatisfied  with  their 
new  home  beside  the  Santees,  and  are  endeavoring  to  escape 
down  the  river  to  go  and  live  with  their  old  friends,  the 
Omahas.  They  are  very  friendly  and  obedient,  and  many  of 
them  speak  good  English  and  can  perform  all  manner  of 
manual  labor.  Our  town  for  the  last  few  days  has  been  alive 
with  these  Indians  chopping  up  all  the  wood  piles  in  the 
place,  for  which  their  price  is  "something  to  eat."  They  have 
formed  a  wild  fancy  for  the  James  river  below  us,  and  say 
that  they  want  their  "Great  Father"  to  give  them  a  home 
on  this  stream,  w^here  they  can  fish  and  hunt  and  build  their 
"wigwams"  in  the  valleys,  and  work  wath  the  white  men. 
Indeed,  they  have  lived  so  long-  in  the  states  surrounded  by 
civilization  that  they  appear  to  feel  more  at  home  w-ith  the 
whites  than  jwith  their  owni  red  brethren  of  the  forest ;  and,  in 
fact,  I  believe  that  the  settlers  of  Dakota  would  be  as  secure 
from  danger  of  the  hostile  Sioux,  guarded  by  the  Winneba- 
goes  located  on  a  reservation  on  James  river  and  within 
twenty  miles'  of  the  capitol,  as  by  a  regiment  of  soldiers  lo- 
cated in  the  same  position.  If  a  small  military  post  should 
ever  be  established  on  this  stream  as  before  referred  to,  w^e 
shall  then  advocate  the  removal  of  the  W'innebagoes  to  the 
valley  of  the  James.  They  could  remove  themselves  and 
effects  by  overland  in  four  days  to  a  point  on  the  river  where 
light-draft  steamboats  could  transport  their  annuities  three 
months  in  the  year.  The  commander  has  ordered  these  pris- 
oners to  return  to  Crow  creek,  and  they  are  now  marching 
under  a  military  guard  and  with  sad  faces  to  their  home  again  : 


138  PIOXEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS. 

but  it  is  only  right  that  they  should  be  made  to  feel  the  power 
above  them  and  to  remain  on  their  reservation  until  the  gov- 
ernment shall  deem  it  proper  to  give  them  a  more  productive 
reserve. 

Political  matters  in  the  territory  are  somewhat  unsettled 
and  formless,  and  will  not  perhaps  assume  a  determinate  front 
before  the  nominating  conventions  of  next  spring.  The  germs 
of  a  strong  union  party  are  getting  root,  comprising  a  coali- 
tion of  the  War  Democrats  with  the  true,  consistent,  nonabus- 
ivc  Republicans.  There  are  Democrats  in  Dakota  who  are 
proved  of  true  worth,  for  their  inherent  devotion  to  their 
country,  from  the  fact  that  they  have  remained  inie  to  its 
flag  without  commissions,  contracts  or  salaries,  and  have  pa- 
tiently endured  the  abuse  of  those  "patronage  loyalists"  who 
continually  persist  in  calling  all  Deniocrats  traitors  and  cop- 
perheads who  do  not  lean  upon  the  government  for  their 
daily  bread.  There  are  many  good  Republicans  in  Dakota, 
but  some  shameful  clieats  upon  the  party  and  the  adminis- 
tration. 

The  editorial  reins  of  the  Dakotian,  though  temporarily 
tied  to  the  wheel  of  the  '■chariot"  for  somebody  to  get  ofif, 
are  again  placed  in  the  hands  of  its  old  editor,  Mr.  Kingsbury. 

Hon.  N.  Edmunds  of  the  surveyor  general's  office  has 
been  appointed  governor,  and  Hon.  J.  M.  Boyle  of  Vennil- 
lion  receiver  of  the  land  office  at  that  place.  Both  are  old 
residents  of  Dakota,  and  whatever  else  may  be  said  of  them, 
they  possess  the  credit  of  having  stood  with  the  people 
tlirough  all  our  troubles  and  dangers.  Governor  Ednmnd's 
official  conduct  will  receive  a  fair,  impartial  criticism  as  he 
proceeds  in  the  discharge  of  his  new  duties. 

The  legislature  will  meet  on  the  first  Monday  of  Decem- 
ber. I  shall  endeavor  to  give  you  a  faithful  record  of  its 
])roceedings. 


Yankton,  Dec.  14,  1863. 
The  territorial  legislature  assembled  at  the  capitol  build- 
ng.  on  Monday,  the  7th  insi.,  and  organized  by  the  election 


PIONEER  EEGISLATURES  AXD  INDIAN  WARS.  \  V) 

of  Hon.  E.  Stutsman  of  Yankton  president  of  the  council,  and 
Hon.  A.  W.  Puett  of  Vermillion  speaker  of  the  house. 

The  council  organi.zed  with  ei.o-ht  members,  the  house 
with  fifteen — Cole  and  Bonhomme  counties  being  contested, 
and  Red  River  absent.  On  the  second  and  third  days  the 
committee  on  credentials,  in  both  house  and  council,  re- 
ported in  favor  of  the  unconditional  Union  members  from 
each  contested  district,  whereby  the  house  was  filled  up  to 
twenty-two  representatives,  and  the  council  to  twelve  mem- 
bers—the Red  River  delegation,  consisting  of  one  council- 
man and  two  representatives,  still  be'ng  absent  at  the  date 
of  this  writing,  with  no  probability  of  their  arriving  at  all. 

Had  the  Democratic  delegations  been  admitted  from  both 
Cole  and  Bonhomme,  the  council  would  have  stood  seven 
Democrats  and  five  Republicans,  but  the  house  would  still 
have  retained  two  Republican  majority.  As  it  now  is,  the 
Democrats  in  both  houses  are,  like  our  soldiers  at  Bull  Run, 
"overwhelmed  by  superior  numbers."  But  it  could  not  be 
otherwise  expected  than  that  a  Republican  committee  would 
report  in  favor  of  the  Republican  members.  Democrats  would 
have  done  the  same  thing.  Perhaps  T  am  doing  wrong — in 
fact,  I  am  not  correct — in  classing  the  opposing  candidates  in 
the  legislature  as  Democrats  and  Republicans.  There  are  no 
such  party  organizations  in  the  territory.  These  names  were 
first  given  to  the  followers  of  Todd  and  Jayne  in  the  delegate 
election  of  1862.  and  although  Todd  was  a  Democrat  and 
Jayne  a  Republican,  many  of  the  most  ultra-Republicans  in 
the  territory  supported  the  former,  while  some  of  our  oldest 
Democrats  voted  for  the  other. 

Since  then  there  has  been  opposing  parties  in  Dakota, 
each  of  which  was  an  amalgamation  of  men  of  all  political 
])roclivities.  The  war  of  these  parties  has  been  more  for 
men,  localities  and  prejudice,  than  for  the  good  of  the  peo- 
ple, the  territory  or  the  government. 

The  message  of  Governor  Edmnnds  was  delivered  before 
a  joint  convention  of  both  houses  on  the  third  day  of  the 


I40  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS. 

session,  and  was  replete  with  good  sense  and  practical  rec- 
ommendations. Many  bills  have  been  already  introduced, 
among  which  is  one  repealing  the  Red  River  apportionment 
bill  of  1S62,  and  cutting  off  the  representation  of  that  portion 
of  the  territory,  and  leaving  them  on  an  equal  footing  with 
all  other  white  settlers  on  unceded  Indian  lands.  The  bill  has 
passed  both  houses  with  but  slight  amendments.  With  this 
act  repealed,  the  Dakota  legislature  will  stand :  Council, 
12 ;  house,  22 ;  total,  34. 

There  is  not  an  equilibrium  of  parties  in  either  house 
sufficient  to  make  the  session  and  discussions  interesting  and 
spicy,  and  I  fear  in  consequence  that  I  shall  not  have  much 
to  write  you  during  the  winter.  The  sinless  secretary  of  the 
council.  Judge  Hanson,  admits  me  to  his  drawer  of  station- 
ery, and  the  compassionate  president  has  promised  to  present 
me  with  his  "stoga  boots"  as  soon  as  I  show  my  head  in  the 
council  chamber. 

The  Dakota  Historical  Association  have  inaugurated  a  se- 
ries of  lectures  for  the  winter,  the  first  of  which  was  delivered 
last  Saturday  evening,  by  M.  K.  Armstrong,  on  the  "Early 
History  of  Dakota."  The  next  of  the  series  will  be  delivered 
by  Mr.  Hoskins.  on  the  evening  of  the  19th  inst. 

Colonel  Thompson,  with  his  train  of  120  wagons  loaded 
with  provisions  for  the  Santee  and  ^^'innebago  Indians,  has 
arrived  at  Crow  creek  in  safety.  Not  an  Indian  was  seen 
through  their  whole  journey  until  they  reached  the  Missouri. 
His  train  was  escorted  by  three  companies  of  Minnesota  in- 
fantry, and  he  pursued  a  course  from  Mankato  nearly  due 
west  to  the  Missouri,  traveling  constantly  on  and  near  the 
forty-fourth  degree  of  latitude, between  townships  106  and  107 
north.  They  made  the  trip  in  less  than  twenty-five  days' travel, 
with  ox  teams.  The  distance  made  was  240  miles.  Not  a 
white  settler  was  .seen  on  the  route  for  200  miles,  and  the 
opening  of  this  great  wagon  road  through  the  middle  of  those 
wild  plains,  so  frequently  traversed  by  the  Indians,  will  do 
much  to  impress  the  savages  with  the  belief  that  the  whites 


PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS.  '4' 

are  not  all  dead  yet,  but  live  to  penetrate  their  distant  hunt- 
ing grounds  regardless  of  winter's  storms  or  Indian  toma- 
hawk, 

A  colony  of  sixty-seven  families  is  already  formed  in  the 
State  of  New  York,,to  remove  to  Dakota  next  spring.  Many 
buildings  are  going  up  in  town,  notwithstanding  the  inclem- 
ency of  the  weather.  Some  of  our  officials  have  built,  and 
others  intend  to  build.  Provost  Marshal  VValdron  is  about 
to  be  removed  from  office  for  breaking  the  oificial  laws  of  Da- 
kota, by  erecting  a  dwelling  house  and  living  with  his  family 
in  the  territory.  He  is  pronounced  a  "traitor'  and  rebel 
sympathiser.  We  wish  all  our  officials  would  turn  "traitor," 
and  go  to  building  up  the  territory.  Governor  Edmunds 
talks  of  building  in  the  spring,  but  I'm  at  a  loss  to  see  how 
his  well  known  shrewdness  will  allow  him  to  hazard  the  dan- 
gerous experiment. 


Yankton.  D.  T.,  March  9,  1864. 

The  delegate  election  is  approaching  and  nominating  con- 
v,entions  will  probably  be  held  in  the  course  of  a  month  or 
two.  Some  half  a  dozen  candidates  have  been  mentioned  for 
next  delegate  in  congress,  among  which  are  Bliss,  Burleigh, 
Boyle,  Pirmey,  Hutchinson  and  Allen.  The  mass  of  the  peo- 
ple are  thoroughly  discouraged  with  trying  to  get  justice  at 
a  delegate  election,  and  many  are  so  perfectly  indifferent  in 
the  matter  that  they  declare  themselves  ready  to  vote  for  the 
devil,  or  any  other  "actual  resident"  of  the  territory,  at  the 
coming  election. 

To  be  sure,  the  "old  gentleman"  is  one  of  the  first  pio- 
neers in  Dakota,  and  a  very  shrewd  figurer,  but  when  he 
comes  to  measure  swords  with  Dakota's  politicians  he  will  be 
thrust  through  with  the  fiery  dart  of  "Traitor!"  and  buried 
among  "the  charred  corps  of  copperheadism  and  treason." 

This  was  once  sure  death  in  Dakota,  but  many  a  truly 
loyal  man  has  been  stabbed  so  much  with  the  crooked  sword 


14-  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS. 

of  ''Copperhead"  and  still  come  to  life  again  that  the  people 
begin  to  l)elieve  that  a  man  must  be  judged  from  his  deeds 
instead  of  his  "name."  Thus  far,  none  of  our  ''Copperhead 
officials''  have  been  removed  from  office,  for  the  very  good 
reason  that  they  attend  to  their  own  busir\ess,  are  true  to  the 
administration,  and  don't  steal  from  the  government.  These 
appear  to  be  better  testimonials  at  Washington  than  paper 
professions  and  platforms. 

A  colony  of  126  families,  in  the  State  of  X^ew  York,  liave 
made  their  arrangements  for  immigration  to  the  territory  in 
April,  and  have  testified  their  sincerity  by  advancing  money 
as  a  passage  transportation  fund  from  Syracuse  to  Vankton. 
Another  colony  is  forming  in  Michigan  for  the  purpose  of 
removing  to  Dakota  in  the  spring.  The  New  York  colony 
will  travel  by  cars  and  steamboat  to  Yankton.  A  number, 
however,  will  leave  the  cars  at  Chicago,  and  pass  through 
central  Iowa  for  the  purpose  of  buying  teams  and  wagons  for 
the  use  of  the  colony  after  reaching  its  destination.  An  ac- 
cession of  one  or  two  hundred  families  to  the  settlements  of 
the  Upper  Missouri  valley  at  this  time  would  be  the  means 
of  placing  Dakota  on  a  sure  road  to  prosperity.  Our  land§ 
need  only  to  be  cultivated  to  yield  the  husbandman  a  bounti- 
ful and  profitable  harvest.  The  forthcoming  expedition 
against  the  Indians  of  the  Northwest,  if  projected  energetic- 
ally, will  silence  the  hostile  tribes  for  long  years  to  come.  An 
effort  is  being  made  in  congress  by  our  delegate  and  the  repre- 
sentative from  your  district  for  the  establishment  of  a  line  of 
military  posts  from  some  point  in  southern  ]\Iinnesota,  by 
way  of  Sioux  Falls  and  James  river,  to  the  mines.  We  have 
always  believed  that  such  a  line  of  garrisoned  forts  would 
afford  the  most  complete  and  perfect  protection  to  all  south- 
ern Dakota  and  northern  Iowa,  and  with  but  a  small  pro- 
portionate expense  to  the  government. 

Bills  are  also  before  congress  for  the  opening  of  a  mail  line 
and  emigrant  route  through  Dakota  to  the  gold  mines  of 
Idaho.     Two  public  meetings  have  been  held  in  this  place 


PIONEER  IvEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS.  143 

for  the  purpose  of  taking  steps  to  open  a  new  route  to  Idaho 
from  the  East  via  Dubuque,  Sioux  City,  Niobrara  and  the 
Black  Hills.     Mr.  C.  M.  Davis,  who  has  been  two  years  in 
Idaho,  and  is  now  perfecting-  a  map  of  the  two  territories, 
was  present  at  those  meetings,  and  expressed  the  desire  of 
the  Idaho  people  to  obtain  an  outlet  eastward  to.  the  Mis- 
souri.    He  favors  the  Niobrara  route,  which  passes  by  the 
southern  base  of  the  Black  Hills,  to  Virginia  City, — a  dis- 
tance of  about  640  miles  from  the  Missouri.     Mr.  Dax'is  will 
pass  over  this  route  in  June  at  the  head  of  an  emigrant  party 
from  the  Missouri.      I  am  inclined  to  think,  however,  that  the 
great  thoroughfare  to  the  new  gold  mines  will  yet  pass  by 
way  of  river  to  Fort  Pierre,  thence  by  the  base  of  the  Black 
Hills,  nearly  due  west,  to  the  mines  beyond  the  Big  Horn 
river.     The  Black  Hills  are  150  miles  west  of  Fort   Pierre, 
with  a  good  wagon  trail,  made  by  traders,  leading  between 
the  two  points.     From  the  Black  Hills  to  the  gold  mines,  on 
the  Big  Horn  and  Gallatin  Forks,  the  distances  are,  respec- 
tively, 280  and  370  miles.     The  whole  land  travel  from  Fort 
Pierre  to  the  mines  is  about  490  miles.     As  far  up  the  river 
as  Fort  Pierre  the  line  is  already  protected  by  garrisoned 
military  posts  and  another  fort,  built  in  the  Black  Hills  coun- 
try, and  one  on  the  Big  Horn,  would  protect  the  whole  line 
to  the  mountains.     This  may  not  be  the  route  pursued  by 
emigrants  this  season,  but  I  venture  the  assertion  that  it  will 
yet  become  the  great  traveled  thoroughfare  of  the  North- 
west, as  travelers  and  trains  from  the  mountains  will  naturally 
seek  the  nearest  point  on  the  Missouri  from  whence  they  can 
easily  descend  upon  barges  and  steamboats,  with  but  little 
expense.     But  it  needs  the  cooperation  of  the  people  of  Da- 
kota and  Iowa  to  secure  the  opening  of  at  least  one  route 
this  season.     If  the  people  of  Idaho  wish  an  outlet  by  the  way 
of  the  Niobrara,  let  us  first  labor  for  that  and  get  the  road 
ODen  and  then  look  for  a  better  and  shorter  route.    If  they  are 
willing  to  travel  a  long  road  to  get  out  of  the  mountains, 
they  will  certainly  follow  a  short  one  when  we  find  it  for  them. 


144  PIONEER  EEGISIvATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS. 

Yankton,  D.  T.,  March  28,  1864. 

The  future  of  Dakota  begins  to  brighten  with  the  opening 
season.  One  year  ago  to-day  the  settlements  of  the  territory 
from  the  Big  Sioux  river  to  the  Yankton  agency,  a  distance 
of  over  a  hundred  miles,  was  left,  defenceless  and  unprotected, 
to  the  mercy  of  the  hostile  Sioux  of  the  plain.  At  that  time 
farmers  were  packing  their  wagons  to  leave  the  territory ; 
now  they  are  fencing  their  fields  and  tilling  the  soil.  Then 
the  murderous  red  man  sulked  in  our  very  midst,  and  beleag- 
ured  our  citizens  on  the  highways  of  the  territory;  now  the 
trail  of  the  red  man  is  followed  by  that  of  the  government 
soldier,  and  300  troops  are  distributed  among  the  settlements, 
which  one  year  ago  were  scattered  over  the  frontier  a  hundred 
miles  from  the  sound  of  a  musket  or  the  gleam  of  a  bayonet. 
Instead  of  our  citizens  preparing  to  abandon  the  territory 
with  their  families  and  effects,  Dakota  is  now  receiving  ac- 
cessions to  its  population  from  the  neighboring  states. 

The  agent  of  the  New  York  colony,  mentioned  in  my  last 
letter,  has  arrived,  and  contracted  for  lumber  to  erect  fifty 
cabins  for  the  temporary  accommodation  of  the  families  on 
their  arrival.  They  will  be  landed  by  steamboat  at  this  place, 
where  they  will  remain  until  they  shall  have  examined  the 
different  localities  in  the  territory  and  selected  their  places 
of  business  and  abode.  The  plan  and  proposed  route  of  the 
Indian  expedition  is  inspiri-ng  our  people  with  renewed  hope 
and  courage.  No  more  beneficial  plan  ui  operations  or  line 
of  march  could  be  desired  by  the  people  of  Dakota  than  the 
one  decided  on  by  the  government  for  the  summer's  cam- 
paign in  the  Northwest.  It  is  proposed  to  proceed  up  the  Mis- 
souri river,  with  about  3,500  cavalry,  to  a  point  near  old  Fort 
Pierre,  or  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Sheyenne ;  thence  westward, 
establishing  a  military  post  in  the  Black  Hills  and  one  on  the 
Big  Horn,  on  the  head  waters  of  the  Missouri,  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  gold  fields  of  Idaho.     . 


STAMPEDU    OF  FKIGHTENED  OFFICE  HOLDERS.-  p-  8' 


PIONEER  I/EGISIvATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS.  145 

General  Sibley  will  ])n)ceed  with  his  forces  from  Minne- 
sota by  way  of  Devil's  lake,  upper  James  river  and  the  valley 
of  the  Yellowstone  to  Idaho,  opening-  a  northern  route  and 
erecting-  garrisons  thereon.  Three  routes  will  thereby  be 
opened  through  Dakota  to  the  mountams  by  the  government, 
to-wit,  the  northern  or  Yellowstone  line,  tlie  central  or  lUack 
Hills  route,  and  the  southern  or  Niobrara  valley  road,  on 
which  last  route  the  govermncnt  has  appropriated  $I().()(K)  for 
the  protection  of  emigrants  during  the  coming  season.  The 
route  opened  by  General  Sully's  forces,  by  way  of  the  lilack 
Mills,  will  probably  be  the  most  prominent  thoroughfare  to 
the  mountains,  since  by  this  route  emigrants  can  reach  the 
gold  mines  at  a  distance  of  a  little  over  loo  miles  from  the 
Missonri  river,  at  Fort  Pierre.  'J'he  mysterious  Black  Hills, 
150  miles  west  of  the  Missouri,  will  in  the  opinion  of  all  ex- 
plorers of  that  region  yet  yield  a  mineral  wealth  e(|ua]  to  that 
of  the  mountain  ranges  250  miles  further  west.  The  coming 
expedition,  followed  by  its  attendant  train  of  explorers  and 
miners,  will  test  the  mineral  resources  of  that  region,  and  if 
moderate  anticipations  are  realized  there  will  be  opened  there 
a  vast  gold  region,  as  it  were  at  our  very  doors,  and  within 
five  days"  travel  of  this  city. 

We  are  truly  grateful  to  the  general  government  for  be- 
stowing this  timely  and  needed  attention  to  the  interests  of 
Dakota  and  the  Northwest.  It  is  giving  a  new  impulse  to 
farmers,  ofiicials  and  politicians.  Maiy  are  already  erecting 
their  buildings  in  town  and  country,  and  preparing  home- 
steads, which  looks  like  a  permanent  residency. 

La  Blanc  and  Bouret  are  just  completing  a  toll  bridge  on 
James  river  in  this  county,  at  an  expense  of  not  less  than 
$2,000,  which  is  really  an  ornament  to  our  county  and  terri- 
tory, and  reflects  high  credit  upon  the  energy  and  persever- 
ance of  the  men  who  have  undertaken  and  completed  such 
a  structure  of  labor  and  expense  in  a  wild  frontier  country  like 
this.     This  bridge  is  on  the  Sioux  City  and  Fort  Randall  mail 


146  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS. 

route,  and  everything  appears  to  be  made  comfortalile  for 
man  and  beast,  by  the  erection  of  a  saloon  for  the  watering 
of  the  former  and  a  pump  and  trough  for  the  latter. 

Major  Burleigh  is  running  for  congress  with  3,000  sheep 
and  a  mule.  Judge  Bliss  is  in  pursuit  of  him  w  ith  his  grey 
Morgan  stallion.  Dakota  is  somewhat  noted  for  the  stock- 
raising  propensities  of  her  delegates  in  congress.  General 
Todd,  our  first  delegate,  is  recorded  in  history  as  having  im- 
ported the  first  Durham  bull  and  game-cock  in  Dakota,  while 
William  Jayne,  our  first  governor,  is  known  as  the  introducer 
of  the  American  elephant  and  African  negro. 

HUMOROUS   RACE  OF  DAKOTA   CONTRACTORS. 

What's  the  cause  of  all  this  rumpus, 

Which  we  hear  today  among  us? 

Good,  loyal  men  are  running  wild, 

They  never  speak  and  never  smile — 

Horses  borrowed,   horses  hired; 

^len  and  wagons  greased  and  tired; 

Some  on  foot  and  some  a-horseback; 

Some  take  the  road  and  some  the  cross-track; 

All  plunging  eastward  toward  Sioux  City, 

Zounds!  the  people  start  with  pity. 

To  see  this  flock  of  politicians 

Fleeing  in  such  wild  conditions. 

"What's  the  matter,"  the  people  cry, 
'Ts  Burleigh  dead,  or  going  to  die?  " 
"Is  Todd  thrown  from  his  old  war-horse?" 
"Or  Bliss  gone  crazy  with  remorse?" — 
"No,  no!''  respftnd  the  flying  train, 
"Bliss,   Burleigh,   Todd,   are   all   the   same. 
"Wc  run  for  life,  and  ilicy  for  Congress, 
"  'Tis  hard  to  tell  who'll  run  the  longest." 

"But  where  are  you  going?"  cries  a  man. 
With  hair  erect  and  eyes  that  span 
The  size  of  onions; — "What's  the  matter?" 
"What's  the  cause  of  all  this  clatter?" 
"Do  tell  us,  are  the  Indians  coming?" 
".And  where  on  earth  are  you  all  running?" 
"Or  are  you  going  to  Convention?" 
"Speak.  U)T  God's  sake,  your  intention" — 


PIONEER  IvEGISIvATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS.  '47 

The  leader  fiercely  spurred  his  nag, 

And  pointing  forward,  whispered  ''Bagg." 

And  as  they  thundered  on  their  way, 

One,  now  and  then,  would  murmur  "Hay;" 

And   when   the    Gov'nor   blew   his   horii. 

The   whole   procession   shouted,   "Corn." 

'Twas  all  explained,  the  people  said; 

"No  politician  yet  is  dead, 

Nor  ever  will  be,  long  as  Hay, 

And  Corn,  and  Cordwood  fill  the  way; 

For  men  are  apt  to  dodge  behind  them. 

Where  the  war  can  never  find  them." 

Right  on  did  these  contractors  go. 

And  take  poor  Bagg  in  savage  tow; 

They  pulled  and  picked  and  punched  and  squeezed  'iiini 

And  rubbed  and  hugged  and  begged  and  teased  him, 

And  round  the  town  on  wheels  they  hauled  him. 

And  often  up  to  drink  they  called  him; — 

"For,"  said  they,  "can  we  but  wet  him. 

The  Bagg  will  give  and  then  we'll  gel  him. 

But  well  did  Quarter  Master  Bagg 

Hold  up  his  ears  and  never  sag, 

Till  all  said:     "Bagg  is  put  together 

Devilish  well  for  wind  and  weather." 

The  Bagg  proved  sound;  and  all  their  picking 

Drew  not  enough  to  feed  a  chicken; — 

Each  "Old  Corn  Rooster"  looked  paternal 

On  every  Southern  cob  and  kernel. 

And,  though  the  Bagg  was  rounding  full. 

It  was  no  use  to  pick  and  pull; 

Each  "Shanghai"  picked  his  empty  crop. 

And  started  homeward   on  a  trot; 

While  each  Contractor  cursed  and  said: — 

"The  Devil  take  a  Copperhead, 

Or  any  other  Quarter  Master, 

That  won't  shell  out  the  corn  we're  after; 

For  he  must  know  this  starving  truth : 

That  chickens  will  come  home  to  roost." 

Sioux  City  teased  them  long  to  tarry. 
And  not  to  leave  in  such  a  hurry; 
"For,"  said  they,  "though  we  abuse  you, 
'Twill  never  do  for  us  to  lose  you; 
We  love  the  people  of  Dakota, 
We  love  the  soldiers,  that  you  know,  too; 


14^"^  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS. 

We'll  treat  you  well  while  you  are  here, 

We'll  take  your  dimes  and  give  you  Beer; 

Our  hotel  men  can  badly  feed  you; 

Our  merchants,  too,  can  nurse  and  bleed  you." 

And  so  they  did,  we  hear  it  said. 

Dakota  ate,  and  drank,  and  bled. 


DAKOTA  REPKLS  ATTACKS    FROM    IOWA. 

Northern  Iowa  hates  southern  Dakota,  as  the  devil  hates 
daylight.  Why?  Not  because  we  ever  abused  or  slandered 
that  state,  or  in  any  way  spoke  disrespectfully  of  its  people, 
v^till.  all  the  little  himgry  ncAvspapers  along  the  line  of  the 
h^ort  Dodge  and  Marshalltown  road  are  continually  howling 
in  the  ears  of  immigrants  the  most  pitiful  lies  concerning  the 
"barren,  desolate,  God-forsaken  land  of  Dakota."  We  can- 
not see  why  the  grumbling  denizens  of  the  wind-warped  and 
clapboard  towns  of  Towa  should  borrow  so  much  trouble 
about  Dakota  and  her  people,  unless  it  be  because  we  are  in- 
dependent enough  to  mind  our  own  business  and  refuse  to 
beg  or  steal,  but  go  on  steadily  improving  from  day  to  day 
in  all  that  makes  a  people  content  and  prosperous.  W^e  have 
plenty  to  eat,  drink  and  wear,  and  all  the  necessaries  of  life 
can  be  bought  in  Dakota  to-day  nearly  as  cheap  as  in  north- 
ern Iowa,  notwithstanding  our  visitation  of  drouth  and  grass- 
hoppers. Apply  the  same  misfortunes  to  northern  Iowa  for 
one  year  and  her  prairie  towns  would  be  laid  out  as  dry  and 
lifeless  as  a  dead  mackerel  on  a  sandbar.  We  will  bet  a  load 
of  frozen  Iowa  potatoes,  for  which  we  paid  four  dollars  per 
bushel,  that  more  new  buildings  have  been  erected  in  Yankton 
during  the  last  eight  months  than  in  any  town  of  equal  sizp 
in  all  northern  Iowa.  Hence  it  will  be  seen  that  the  "old 
settlers"  of  Dakota  are  neither  starving  to  death  nor  out  of 
money.  Every  new  immigrant  who  comes  to  Dakota  cannot 
and  does  not  expect  to  get  into  the  legislature  within  a  few 
months  after  coming  here,  as  did  Cole  and  Kenyon,  who  is- 


PIONEER  IvEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS.  149 

sued  the  spit-spite  circular  on  which  the  Hamilton  Freeman 
and  the  North  West  Fort  Dodger  raised  such  a  pitiable  howl 
Those  men  came  to  Dakota  last  spring,  and  settled  in  Bon- 
homme  county,  and  so  lono-  as  tliey  were  kept  in  ^ood  cm- 
ploy  they  "blowed"  beyond  all  consistency  in  favor  of  the 
territory;  but  so  soon  as  they  learned  that  it  required  nine 
months  residence  here  to  entitle  a  man  to  hold  ofnce,  they 
sloped  for  Iowa,  where  they  will  probably  live  till  spring-, 
without  much  expense,  by  softsdapinsf  the  charities  of  the 
people,  and  will  then  leave  for  some  other  "promised  land," 
lookinq-  back  and  spittino-  hate  at  the  "barren,  worthless  des- 
ert" in  the  neig-hborhood  of  the  Fort  Dodger  and  Hamilton 
Freeman. 

All  new  territories  must  receive  a  certain  amoimt  of  abuse 
and  hard  knocks  upon  the  head  by  its  older  sisters  before 
putting- on  its  robe  of  state.  Dakota  has  not  put  on  that  robe 
yet,  but  she  intends  to  wear  short  dresses,  run  her  own  road, 
and  do  her  fig-htinisf  with  the  slanderous  editors  of  northern 
Iowa. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  a  citizen  of  Dakota,  now  residing  in 
Yankton,  nine  years  ago  defended  Iowa,  in  the  A''.  Y.  Tribune, 
against  the  slanderous  article  of  one  of  its  own  "residents." 
It  only  shows  their  natural  proneness  to  hate  and  slander,  and 
that  in  those  early  days  when  they  had  no  one  to  hate  but 
themselves,  they  practised  self-abuse ;  and  have  not  now  man- 
hood enough  left  to  elevate  themselves  to  the  legitimate  duty 
of  attending  to  their  own  business.  Long  before  the  town- 
sites  of  Webster  City  and  Marshalltown  were  marked  by  a 
board  shanty,  we  had  traveled  on  foot  and  surveyed  through 
most  of  the  northern  portions  of  Iowa,  and  we  feel  that  we 
know  fully  as  much  about  the  advantages  of  that  prairie  coun- 
try as  any  country  editor  can  tell  us.  We  know  that  ten 
years  ago  the  people  of  those  little  towns  were  living  upon 
corn  bread  and  wild  game,  and  were  heartily  sick  of  the  coun- 
try. 

They  were  removed  far  in  the  interior,  away  from  railroads 
and  steamboats,  while  here,  in  Dakota,  we  have  the  Missouri 


I  50  PIONEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS. 

river  washing  our  entire  central  domain,  and  carrying  an  an- 
nual trade  of  nian\-  millions  of  dollars  in  front  of  our  very 
doors. 

Our  neighbor.  Minnesota,  on  our  right,  is  ready  and  eager 
to  jom  hands  with  us,  and  will  protect  and  encourage  our 
trade  and  travel  in  passing  across  that  slate  to  the  Mississippi. 
If  newspaper  abuse  and  indignant  lying  is  all  that  Iowa 
has  in  store  for  us.  the  sooner  we  open  our  trade  in  some 
other  direction  the  better  it  will  be  for  the  whole  Northwest. 
A  few  of  the  northern  Iowa  newspapers  have  gone  stark 
mad  at  I  )akota.     Their  distemper  was  bad  enough  before,  but 
our  little  article  of  self-defense,  a  few  weeks  since,  has  set 
them  howling  clean  into  Dubuque.     For  the  last  two  years 
they  have  followed  us  with  kicks  and  curses,  while  we  have 
said  nothing,  but  went  on  attending  to  our  business,  until 
they  have  flattered  themselves  that  they  were  like  the  pups 
that  barked  at  the  moon — monarchs  of  the  world.     They  are 
utterly  surprised  to  think  that  young  and  feeble  Dakota,  so 
often  kicked  and  cufifed  by  them,  should  all  at  once  resent 
their  insults  by  hitting  them  one  good,  round  slap  in  the  face. 
h  starts  the  bad  blood,  and  will  do  them  good.     They  roar 
like  Goliahs  struck  with  slung-shots.     They  are  mad — froth- 
ing mad.     They  bite  their  own  tongues,  pull  out  their  own 
hair,  tear  their  ragged  garments,  and  stamp  upon  their  gran- 
ger hats. with  wooden  shoes.  They  throw  up  their  red  nostrils, 
and  snort  like  gored  bullocks;   they  paw  up  the  wild  prairie 
around  Fort  Dodge,  smash  down  the  "only  cabin"  between 
that  place  and  Webster  City,  while  down  at  Dubuque  the 
Times  declares  that  "frozen  potatoes  were  raised  in  Iowa"  last 
year.     A  great  country  is  northern   Iowa,  and  astonishing 
must  be  the  race  who  live  in  Dubuque,  if  by  a  freak  of  gram- 
mar or  the  soil,  they  can  "raise  frozen  murphies"  in  the  sum- 
mer time.    This  beats  the  Fort  Dodge  prairie,  where  the  cows 
give  blue  milk,  and  the  wind  whips  the  long-tailed  pigs  to 
death. 


PIONKER  LKGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN    WARS.  15' 

The  "load  of  frozen  Towa  potatoes"  which  we  was^ered  in 
our  former  article,  at  four  dollars  per  bushel,  struck  the  Towa 
editors  where  we  thouj^lU  il  would,  rii^ht  in  the  mouth,  and 
they  caught  at  it  as  a  "good  thing."  With  his  usual  incon- 
sistency the  editor  of  the  Dubu(|ue  Times,  concludes  that, 
because  we  paid  fom-  dollars  per  bushel  for  Towa  potatoes, 
which  afterwards  froze  solid  for  the  reason  that  they  were 
never  ripened,  therefore  we  nmst  eat  them  because  we  bought 
them,  and  "eke  out  a  miserable  existence  on  frozen  potatoes 
at  a  dollar  a  peck."  Perhaps  they  do  such  things  in  Towa, 
l)ut  we  don't  up  this  wa\ .  We  keep  these  frozen  murphies 
to  bet  on,  and  to  hurl  at  Towa  editors.  We  have  an  abun- 
dance of  other  things  to  live  on  up  here,  and  w^e  do  not  hang 
our  chances  for  life,  like  Towans,  upon  the  immortal  murphy. 
One  would  think,  from  reading-  some  of  the  Towa  papers,  that 
the  whole  state  rested  upon  a  potato  bed,  and  that  when  that 
gives  way  down  goes  the  state.  On  the  other  hand,  our  basis 
is  more  firm  in  Dakota.  All  kinds  of  small  grain  have  yielded 
well  in  this  territory  for  the  last  five  years,  and  even  vegeta- 
bles were  last  season  doing  finely  until  the  appearance  of 
grasshoppers.  But  this  is  not  what's  the  matter  with  the 
Iowa  papers.  They  were  always  willing  to  admit  that  we  had 
a  fine  country  out  here  until  people  began  to  "come  through 
that  state  to  settle  in  Dakota." 

They  would  like  to  see  our  territory  fill  up  and  pour  its 
trade  and  travel  down  through  Iowa,  but  they  want  emi- 
grants who  come  here  to  go  round  by  the  Red  River  of  the 
North,  or  Behrings  straits,  or  some  route  by  w-hich  they  can't 
be  seen  "coming  to  Dakota."  Two  years  ago  this  month, 
when  Dubuque  was  looking  for  the  Dakota  trade,  the  Times, 
that  consistent  journal,  which  now  says,  "vegetables  won't 
grow  here,"  gave  our  territory  the  tollowing  truthful  notice : 

The  speedy  union  of  Dubuque  with  Dakota  by  railroad  will  decide 
the  future  prosperity  of  our  city.  With  that  connection,  nothing  can  pre- 
vent the  rapid  growth  of  the  city  in  proportion  to  the  doveloprrffent  of  the 
great  and  rich  country  lying  upon  our  direct  line  of  latitude  to  the  shores 


152  PIOXEER  LEGISLATURES  AND  INDIAN  WARS. 

of  the  Pacific.  Our  Minnesota  friends,  with  the  foresight  belonging  to 
their  Yankee  origin,  are  inquiring  into  the  ways  and  means  of  diverting 

the  Dakotans  from  the  Dubuque  route,  and  appropriating  to  Minnesota 
the  commercial  advantages  and  resources  of  the  new  territorj'. 

That's  where  the  rnb  .is.  Dakota  was  a  "great  and  rich 
country"  so  long  as  our  trade  was  not  diverted  "from  the 
Dubuque  route,"  which  the  Times  said  was  to  "decide  the 
future  prosperity  of  that  city."  These  late  newspaper  spirts 
of  hate  will  never  kill  Dakota,  especially  when  they  come  from 
journals  that  are  continually  ciuarreling'  about  the  disadvan- 
tag"es  of  their  own  state.  Take  the  following,  for  instance, 
from  the  MorshaJl  County  Times,  wherein  is  exposed  the  hum- 
buggery  of  that  farming  paradise  on  the  "wild  uninhabited 
prairie"  in  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Dodge  and  Webster  City, 
where  the  lands  are  owned  by  speculators  and  will  never  be 
settled  so  long  as  grass  grows  and  good  homesteads  can  be 
found  on  the  Missouri  river  in  Dakota. 

The  Times  of  the  4th  of  January  thus  lets  out  the  truth 
about  the  desolate  portion  of  northern  Iowa,  in  speaking  of 
the  location  of  military  headquarters: 

Fort  Dodge  is  some  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles  west  of  Webster  City, 
to  reach  which  you  have  to  cross  an  uninhabited  prairie,  there  being  but 
one  house  in  the  entire  distance,  and  we  presume  the  inmates  of  that 
have  frozen  to  death  and  the  shanty  blown  away  ere  this.  Everybody  who 
has  ever  traveled  from  Webster  City  to  Fort  Dodge  knows  that  he  does 
so  at  the  peril  of  his  life.  How  many  instances  there  have  been  of  men 
losing  their  way  and  perishing  on  those  unknown  wilds.  There  is  no  one 
who  would  dare  undertake  to  cross  that  prairie  with  the  trail  snowed 
under,  unless  he  was  familiar  with  the  swells  of  the  prairie,  and  thereby 
enabled  to  pilot  his  way.  We  have  crossed  that  prairie  in  the  summer 
time,  but  would  no  more  presume  to  set  out  to  do  the  like  in  the  winter 
than  we  would  think  of  navigating  the  ocean  without  a  compass.  The 
fact  is.  Fort  Dodge  is  an  isolated  place,  to  one  sfde  of  the  population, 
with  mails  every  now  and  then,  according  to  the  state  of  the  wind  and 
■-now  on  the  prairie. 

This  is  the  bleak  moor  which  the  Webster  City  Freeman 
aud  the  New  York  wanderers  pronounce  the  garden  of  Eden, 
and  this  is  where  they  load  themselves  with  prairie  wind  and 


PION'EKR   IJ-lGTSTvATrRKS   A\n  TXDT.W   WARS.  I  v^ 

shoot  their  paper  bullets  at  Dakota,  and  get  men  to  sign  their 
circulars  who  have  never  been  within  150  miles  of  this  terri- 
tory. A  pretty  country  is  that  for  the  Fort  Dodge  North 
West  to  boast  of,  and  then  talk  about  the  "desolate  region  of 
Dakota."  There  is  no  place  on  the  road  from  Sioux  City  to 
Yankton,  in  this  territory,  where  the  traveler  can  pass  eight 
miles  without  coming  to  settlements,  with  houses,  stacks, 
stables  and  fields. 

In  fact,  Dakota  is  beginning  to  come  out  of  the  fog,  and 
the  more  we  are  abused  the  faster  and  stronger  we  grow;  and 
in  less  than  t^^■o  years  northern  Iowa  will  see  us  rapping  Du- 
buque over  the  knuckles  with  the  golden  key  to  the  Black 
Hills,  and  shaking  our  dust  and  nuggets  in  the  streets  of 
Chicago. 


SKETCHES   OF   TRAVEL 


EARLY  HARDSHIPS 


SKETCHES  OF  TRAVEL  AND  EAKI.^ 
HARDSHIPS. 


A  JOURNIvV   TO   SIOUX   FALLS   AND  THE  RKD    I'l  ri;STOi\l?    i<i;(WoN    I  ,\ 

1864. 

On  the  17th  of  last  month  we  left  Yankton,  as  one  of  a 
party  of  twelve  well-armed  men  Avho  were  assigned  to  thq 
(hity  of  extending  the  government  survey  of  eastern  Dakota, 
to  connect  with  the  state  boundary  of  Minnesota. 

We  were  provided  with  forty  days'  rations,  which,  with 
our  skin  lodge,  blankets  and  implements  of  lal)or,  were  loaded 
in  two  wagons  and  drawn  by  six  oxen.  We  were  three  days 
on  the  road  before  reaching  the  ill-fated  and  abandoned  town 
of  Sioux  Falls,  where  we  arrived  and  encamped  in  the  old 
stone  printing  office  on  the  night  of  the  20th.  The  cold, 
rocky  shores  of  the  Big  Sioux  river,  studded  with  scattering 
evergreen  trees;  the  little  lone  island  of  ash  and  maple  above 
the  falls ;  the  abandoned  fields  and  broken  fences ;  the  ashes 
of  burned  houses  and  the  crumbling  habitations  of  a  once 
thriving  settlement, — were  all  that  greeted  our  vision  on  as- 
cending the  prairie  hilltops  which  overlook  the  great  valley 
of  the  Sioux.  It  was  one  of  the  cold,  cloudy  days  of  October, 
and  the  wild  desolation  around  soon  impressed  us  with  the 
fact  that  we  were  within  the  pale  of  an  Indian  country,  where 
but  two  years  ago  a  massacre  was  committed  by  the  savages 
and  the  town  evacuated  by  citizens  and  soldiers,  a  portion  of 
the  houses  being  burned  by  the  Indians. 

Four  or  five  buildings  were  still  standing,  and  the  printing 
press  of  the  old  Dakota  Democrat  (the  first  paper  published  in 
the  territory)  was  standing  in  the  room  where  we  stopped  for 
the  night.     The  steam  mill  was  there,  though  the  building 


15^     SKETCHES  OE  TRAVEL  AND  EARLY  HARDSHIPS. 

was  burned  around  it.  Ploughs,  wagon  wheels,  stoves,  sleds 
and  many  other  farm  and  household  implements  were  scat- 
tered about  the  town  among  its  ruins. 

The  old  mail  road  from  Yankton  to  Sioux  Falls  is  now 
nearly  overgrow'n  with  g-rass,  and  the  falls  are  nothing  but 
a  noisy  brook  in  comparison  with  the  thundering  torrent  of 
white  foam  and  flood  that  they  were  when  I  first  saw  them 
in  1859.  These  falls  consist  of  a  succession  of  cascades,  from 
twelve  to  twenty  feet  in  height,  falling  over  perpendicular 
precipices  of  rock,  and  extending  one-quarter  of  a  mile  down 
the  river,  ^^'hen  the  stream  is  at  full  banks  the  roar  of  the 
falls  can  1)e  heard  at  the  distance  of  three  miles,  and  their 
appearance  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  imaginable,  resem- 
bling immense  drifts  of  snow  tumbling  down  over  the  rocks 
of  a  steep  mountain  side.  The  whole  townsite  is  underlaid 
with  rock,  covered  with  a  few  feet  of  earth.  The  course  of 
the  falls  is  nearly  north,  and  the  general  direction  of  the 
stream  is  south. 

The  next  morning  we  w^ere  on  our  journey  by  sunrise, 
and  passing  around  the  long  bend  to  the  north,  we  turned 
cur  way  eastward  for  the  Split  Rock  river,  the  field  of  our 
labors.  We  were  soon  overtaken  by  a  Yankton,  who  in- 
formed us  that  there  were  fifteen  lodges  of  his  tribe  encamped 
at  different  points  on  the  river,  who  had  been  sent  out  by 
their  agent.  Dr.  Burleigh,  as  scouts,  with  the  privilege  of 
hunting  and  trapping  along  the  streams.  They  were  very 
friendly,  and  seemed  pleased  at  our  arrival  among  them,  and 
said  they  were  friends  to  the  whites,  but  enemies  to  the  San- 
tees.  Moving  on  to  the  Split  Rock  we  found  them  doing  a 
fine  business  in  the  way  of  trapping  furs  in  the  small  streams 
of  the  country,  wherein  beaver,  otter,  mink  and  muskrat 
abound  in  great  numbers.  There  is  great  ingenuity  in  the 
manner  in  which  the  industrious  beavers  dam  up  the  streams 
and  build  their  winter  liDUies.  We  found  them  at  work  on 
nearly  all  the  streams  we  crossed,  felling  and  hauling  trees, 
dragging  brush,  rolling  stones,  i)acking  mud,  cutting  and  fit- 


SKETCHES  OE  TRAVEL  AND  EARLY  HARDSHIPS.     '  59 

ting  chinks,  and  working  as  busily  and  systematically  as  a 
party  of  hmibermen  would  do  in  building  a  mill  dam.  Their 
labor  is  ])erformed  in  the  night,  and  trees  which  are  as  thick 
tlirough  as  a  man's  body  are  gnawed  down  and  cut  into  pieces 
])y  these  little  animals,  and  fall  with  a  crash  that  can  be  heard 
for  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  We  found  one  work  of  theirs,  where 
the  water  above  the  dam  was  raised  four  feet  higher  than  be- 
low it,  and  the  structure  contained  stones  as  large  as  a  man 
could  lift.  These  stones  are  rolled  along  the  bottom  ,and 
unto  the  dam  to  hold  it  to  the  bottom  of  the  stream  when 
high  water  and  ice  run  over  it  in  the  spring.  In  the  deep 
water  above  these  dams  the  beaver  pass  the  winter.  The 
Indian  catches  the  beaver  by  breaking  a  hole  in  the  top  of 
the  dam  and  placing  his  trap  therein,  whereupon  the  animal 
hearing  the  unusual  roar  in  the  water,  goes  out  (always  in  the 
night)  to  repair  the  breach,  but  often  finds  himself  fast  in  the 
firm  jaws  of  a  steel  trap.  Their  tails  are  nearly  as  long  and 
l:rcad,  and  as  flat' as  a  common  spade,  and  are  used  by  them 
with  great  ingenuity  in  building  and  repairing  their  dams. 
On  the  night  of  the  30th  of  October,  one  yoke  of  our  cattle 
estrayed  or  were  driven  off  by  the  Indians,  and  were  not  seen 
afterward.  During  the  first  week  of  November  we  moved 
north  into  the  region  of  the  Pipestone  creek,  and  on  the  7th 
we  completed  our  work  by  running  the  second  standard  par- 
allel, and  closing  unto  a  post  on  the  Minnesota  boundary, 
marked  seventy-six  miles  south  of  Big  Stone  lake.  We  had 
now  crossed  the  Fort  Ridgely  and  Fort  Thompson  wagon 
road,  and  were  about  120  miles  northeast  of  Yankton,  and 
nearly  100  miles  from  the  nearest  habitation  of  white  men. 
The  whole  country  had  been  recently  burned  over  by  Indian 
fires,  that  had  run  down  from  a  great  distance  to  the  north. 
Fresh  buffalo  trails  covered  the  prairie  in  all  directions,  bear- 
ing to  the  southwest.  We  were  in  the  midst  of  a  vast,  black, 
boundless  waste,  unrelieved  by  tree,  shrub  or  verdure,  save 
an  occasional  winding  of  the  Big  Sioux  river,  which  coursed 
its  lonely  channel    through    the  burned    desert.      We  were 


l6o     SKKTCHES  OF  TRAVKI.  AND  KARLY  HARDSHIPS. 

obliged  to  feed  our  cattle  on  bread  and  hardtack,  and  change 
t-eams  each  da}-.  Some  days  ^ve  were  unable  to  reach  camp 
at  night,  and  were  obliged  to  lie  down  upon  the  ground,  cold, 
wet,  hungry  and  fatigued.  In  such  cases,  being  unprovided 
with  a  sufficiency  of  clothing  to  cover  all.  some  were  obliged 
to  stamp  around  and  keep  warm  while  others  slept.  The  last 
night  on  the  work  my  bed  was  in  a  ditch  on  the  prairie,  be- 
tween friends  Meyer  and  Foster.  The  night  was  boisterous, 
and  whenever  we  peeped  out  from  under  our  blanket,  longing 
for  the  appearance  of  day,  the  sky  rebuked  us  with  its  frosty 
stars,  drifting  snow-clouds  and  wailing  winds.  It  was  a  dis- 
mal, dreary  night  for  a  little  party  of  eight  men.  The  next 
day  we  started  homeward,  passing  within  the  holy  atmosphere 
of  the  great  red  pipestone  quarry.  This  celebrated  spot  is 
situated  in  Minnesota,  six  miles  east  of  the  Dakota  line,  and 
about  lOO  miles  from  Yankton.  It  lies  on  a  little  brook  run- 
ning north  and  west,  in  the  center  of  a  great  rocky  basin 
covered  with  a  few  feet  of  earth,  coated  with  grass.  A  clifif 
of  rocks  some  thirty  feet  high  runs  along  the  east  side  of  the 
creek.  The  quarry  itself  consists  of  a  ditch  in  the  level  plain, 
some  six  feet  deep,  eight  feet  wide,  and  150  yards  long,  dug 
into  the  solid  pipestone,  and  bearing  northeast  and  southwest. 
From  this  ditch  the  Indians  have  from  time  immemorial  taken 
the  soft  stone  of  red  pipe,  which  is  easily  worked  into  any 
fiofure  soon  after  taken  from  the  earth,  but  becomes  hardened 
on  exposure  to  the  atmosphere.  Proceeding  onward  we  en- 
camped at  night  on  the  open  plain,  with  neither  wood  nor 
water  for  man  or  beast.  Again  we  feed  our  cattle  hardtack. 
Starting  at  daylight,  without  breakfast,  we  reached  Sioux 
Falls  toward  evening,  in  a  snow  storm,  having  traveled  two 
days  without  water  and  lived  upon  frozen  bread  and  bacon. 
On  the  15th  we  returned  to  Yankton,  a  wiser  and  better  man, 
having  not  changed  a  garment  nor  looked  in  a  glass  for  thirty 
days. 


g- 


/■    \ 


^. 


.1    / 


SKETCHES  OE  TRAVEL  AND   EARIA    HARDSHIPS.  '  <^  1 

JOURNEY  UP  THE  MISSOURI  BY  STEAMBOAT. 

P'oRT  Sully,  June  13.  1866. 

I  last  wrote  you  from  Crow  Creek  agency,  under  date  of 
May  29th.  The  steamer  Ben  Johnson,  with  the  remaining 
members  of  the  Indian  commission  and  240  tons  of  annuity 
goods  and  treaty  presents,  arrived  at  that  place  on  the  5th 
of  June,  and,  after  putting  off  some  agricultural  seeds  for  the 
Brule  and  Yanktonnais  Indians,  proceeded  up  the  river  for 
Fort  Sully,  reaching  the  last  mentioned  place  on  the  5th  inst. 
This  steamer  is  chartered  by  the  government,  at  $330  per  day, 
to  make  the  trip  to  Fort  Union.  She  left  St.  Louis  on  the' 
7th  of  May,  and  was  consequently  twenty-nine  days  in  mak- 
ing Fort  Sully — a  distance  of  1,400  miles.  The  distance  from 
the  Crow  Creek  agency  to  Fort  Sully,  about  100  miles,  was 
made  in  ten  days,  the  boat  being  obliged  to  stop  at  the  Cedar 
Islands  and  skirting  forests  to  "wood  up."  Boats  on  the 
upper  waters  of  the  Missouri  are  unable  to  run  in  the  night 
hours,  on  account  of  the  uncertain  cliinnel  and  shifting  sand- 
bars. 

Capt.  Joseph  La  Barge,  master  of  the  Ben  Johnson,  one 
of  the  pioneer  pilots  and  steamboat  navigators  of  the  Upper 
Missouri,  passed  up  into  the  Northwest  wilds,  by  steamboat, 
in  1833,  being  then  engaged  in  the  fur  trade  with  the  Indians. 
The  first  steamboat,  the  Yellow  Stone,  ascended  the  Upper 
Missouri  as  far  as  Fort  Pierce  as  early  as  1829,  only  six  years 
after  the  steamer  Virginia  plowed  its  way  up  the  Mississippi 
to  Fort  Snelling,  above  the  present  city  of  St.  Paul. 

The  remains  of  the  old  Spanish  and  J^^-ench  trading  posts 
are  still  to  be  seen  along  the  green  prairie  shores  of  the  Mis- 
souri for  a  thousand  miles  through  the  Indian  countr} . 

The  earliest  post  on  the  river,  built  for  the  Indian  trade, 
is  found  on  Cedar  Island,  above  the  great  bend  of  the  Mis- 
souri and  was  founded  by  a  Spanish  trader  in  1803.  Old  Fort 
Clark,  near  the  ancient  Arickaus  villages,  was  next  built,  in 
1807,  by  those  early  and  reliable  /Vmerican  explorers,  Lewis 


I  62  SKETCHES  OF  TRAVEL  AND   EARLY  HARDSHIPS. 

and  Clark.  Xext  came  the  establishment  of  rival  American 
fur  companies  ;  among  the  first  of  which  was  the  old  fur  com- 
pany of  Fletcher  &  Co..  who  built  old  Cedar  Fort,  or  Fort 
Recovery,  in  1817.  at  or  near  the  Sioux  crossing  of  the  Three 
Rivers,  inmiediately  under  the  forty-fourth  parallel  of  latitude. 
Old  Fort  Lookout,  near  the  same  latitude,  was  established 
in  1823.  by  the  American  fur  company  of  Pratt.  Astor  &  Co., 
and  Fort  Pierce,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Teton,  or  Little  Mis- 
souri, river,  in  1825.  by  the  same  company.  This  post  was 
for  many  years  the  central  metropolis  of  all  the  Xorthwestern 
.fur  trade,  being  .situated  in  the  heart  of  the  great  Sioux  coun- 
try. 

The  meridian  days  of  the  upper  Indian  fur  trade  were 
about  seven  years  ago.  at  which  time  the  furs  brought  out  of 
the  country,  mostly  to  the  St.  Louis  market,  amounted  to 
7,500  bales,  or  75.000  robes,  valued  at  $350,000.  The  early 
fur  trade  was  so  lucrative  and  attractive  that  many  smaller 
rival  companies  embarked  in  the  business,  and  transported 
their  goods  into  the  Inclian  country  by  means  of  pack-horses 
and  flat-boats,  towed  and  rowed  liy  voyagers  of  the  wilder- 
ness. Old  Fort  George,  opposite  the  mouth  of  Medicine  river, 
was  built  by  George  Livingston  &  Co.  of  Xew  England  in 
1843.  'i"^l  in  1845  Fort  Berthold.  in  the  Mandan  country,  was 
established  by  Berthold  &  Co.  of  St.  Louis. 

Fort  Union,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yellowstone  river,  was 
erected  for  the  fur  trade,  in  1830.  by  P.  Chouteau  &  Co.  of 
St.  Louis.  This  company  soon  monopolized  all  the  Xorth- 
west  fur  trade,  and  succeeded  in  putting  down,  or  buying  out, 
every  formidable  competitor  that  entered  the  country.  For 
a  long  series  of  years  the  standard  price  for  a  buffalo  robe  was 
three  tin  cups  of  sugar,  or  a  pound  of  coffee.  They  also 
waged  an  effectual  and  ruinous  warfare  on  every  Indian  agent 
in  the  country  who  dared  to  do  justice  by  the  government  in 
preference  to  the  company.  The  government  agents  were 
often  obliged  to  store  the  Indian  goods  with  the  fur  traders 
at  the  different  pnst^.  without  receipt  or  insurance,  until  the 


SKETCHES  OF  TRAVEL  AM)    i:aKI,V    II  AK  DMl  I  I'>.  !»>•; 

Indians  came  in  from  ihc  plains,  to  find  their  t^oods  alrcadx' 
distributed  and  i;one. 

This  system  of  (h^ixin^-  sharp  l)ari^"ains  with  1)()tli  ai^ents 
nnd  Indians  soon  i^axe  the  company  more  jjower  and  intlu- 
ence  over  the  Indians  than  was  possessed  by  the  j^overnment 
itself;  and,  under  such  circumstances  of  misapplied  power  on 
the  part  of  the  government,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that 
many  tribes  of  the  Northwest  have  l)cen  steadily  nursed  into 
open  rebellion. 

On  arriving  at  Fort  Sully  we  found  encamped  near  the 
fortifications  445  lodges,  or  about  2,500  Indians.  Several 
steamboats  were  also  lying  at  the  levee,  loaded  with  supplies 
and  troops  for  the  Upper  Missouri.  They  had  been  pressed 
into  the  United  States  service,  and  were  drawing  an  aggre- 
gate of  over  $3,000  a  day  from  the  government. 

The  Indians,  who  had  been  waiting  with  commendable 
patience  for  their  annuity  of  goods  for  nearly  three  weeks,  on 
our  arrival,  came  dancing  and  singing  across  the  plain  to  the 
river,  all  painted,  and  dressed  in  the  wild  costume  of  the  red 
man.  They  had  but  a  few  days  l)efore  performed  the  terrible 
ordeal  of  the  Sun  dance,  wherein  twenty-one  young  men 
went  through  the  most  excruciating  tortures  of  the  flesh,  to 
become  brave  men  and  favored  warriors  in  the  eyes  of  the 
Great  Spirit.  A  pole  was  raised  in  the  plain,  and  thongs  tied 
to  its  top,  reaching  nearly  to  the  ground.  The  victims  were 
then  taken  by  their  conu'ades,  and  with  a  shar[)  knife,  slits 
W'Cre  cut  in  the  breast  and  back,  through  which  the  ropes  were 
fastened.  The  young  men  then  danced  to  a  discordant  jar- 
gon of  music,  ever  gazing  at  the  shining  sun.  until  tlie  tlesh 
broke  out  from  the  body,  and  let  the  victims  loose.  One 
young  man  danced  around  the  village  with  the  ghastly  heads 
of  four  bulTalo  bulls  dangling  from  his  bleeding  body. 

Up  to  this  date  seven  bands  of  the  Sioux  nation  have 
appeared  in  council  with  the  commissioners — the  Lower 
Yanktoimais,  Brules,  Blackfeet,  Minnecongoes,  Sans  Arcs, 
Two  Kettles,  and  Uncapapas.      By  the  treaties  made  last  fall. 


164  SKETCHES  OF  TRAVEL  AND  EARLY  HARDSHIPS. 

to  succeed  the  old  Laramie  treaty,  which  expires  this  year, 
the  government  stipulates  to  pay  to  each  lodge  or  family  of 
Indians,  who  settle  down  and  plant  and  cultivate  it.  lands, 
twenty  dollars  in  money  and  twenty-five  dollars  in  agricul- 
tural seeds  and  implements.  Aside  from  this,  $6,000  to  $10,- 
000  annually,  in  clothing  and  provisions,  is  given  to  each 
band,  for  the  loss  of  game  occasioned  by  the  opening  of  the 
new  government  routes  across  the  plains  through  the  Indian 
country ;  the  Indians,  on  their  part,  relinquishing  the  right 
of  way,  and  agreeing  not  to  molest  the  passage  of  trains  along 
the  lines  of  travel.  About  sixty  tons  of  flour,  pork,  sugar, 
coiTee  and  clothing  were  distributed  to  these  Indians  on  the 
12th  inst.  from  our  steamboat  load. 

These  treaties  run  for  a  period  of  twenty  years.  Many 
of  the  chiefs,  in  council  this  spring,  declared  that  they  mis 
understood  the  provisions  of  the  treaties  made  last  fall.  They 
still  claim  that  the  lands  and  roads  are  theirs,  and  that  a  boat 
load  of  goods  every  year  would  not  replace  to  them  the  loss 
of  buft'alo  occasioned  by  the  great  trains  of  white  men  pass- 
ing through  their  hunting  grounds.  Bone-Necklace,  head 
chief  of  the  great  Yanktonnais  tribe,  made  a  very  eloquent 
and  affecting  speech,  which  I  wall  give  yoti  in  full  at  some 
future  time.  All  the  chiefs  who  have  thus  far  spoken  in  coun- 
cil— numbering  twenty-three  in  all — have  expressed  the  sad 
dependency  of  their  tribes,  and  seem  to  w  ant  the  Great  Father 
to  understand  that,  if  he  will  keep  his  white  soldiers  out  of 
their  country,  and  give  them  guns,  and  powder  and  lead,  they 
will  take  care  of  themselves  without  annuities,  by  chasing  the 
buffalo  and  raising  their  little  corn  patches  along  the  streams, 
which  abound  with  fish  and  small  game.  The  Indians  of  the 
Northwest  are  yet  a  wild  and  superstitious  race  of  people,  and 
should  be  treated  more  like  children  than  men.  They  are 
jealous  among  themselves,  and  often  expressed  in  council  that 
they  knew  not  what  was  best  for  themselves,  whether  to  plant 
or  hunt,  and  wished  their  Great  Father  to  direct  them  what 
to  do.     It  is  high  time  that  some  uniform  system  were  estab- 


SKETCHES  OF  TRAVEL  AND    KARI.V    li  VRDSIIH'S.  1-65 

lished  for  the  successful  management  of  our  Indian  tribes. 
There  arc  now  too  many  hands  at  the  bellows,  and  the  Indians 
become  confused  and  bewildered  in  the  multifarious  councils 
and  plans  of  the  Great  Father.  The  rival  fur  traders  in  the 
country,  and  the  introduction  of  liquor  among  the  Indians, 
consequent  upon  the  steamboat  navigation  of  the  Upper  Mis- 
souri, are  fast  working  the  moral  destruction  of  the  natives. 
Indians  barter  the  virtue  of  their  young  daughters  to  thq 
soldiers  for  food  and  raiment,  while  the  well-meaning  pre- 
cepts of  the  government  are  falsified  by  the  example  of  some 
of  its  own  children.  The  steamer  Cora  was  arraigned  last 
week  by  Agent  J.  R.  Hanson  for  selling  liquor  in  the  Indian 
coimtry,  and  four  men  shot  in  the  hospital  here  by  a  raving 
maniac,  recovering  from  the  delirium  tremens.  Such  are  the 
effects  of  whisky  everywhere. 


Old  Arickaree  Village,  June  17,  1866. 
Leaving  Fort  Sully  on  the  12th,  the  steamer  Ben  John- 
son, bearing  the  Indian  commission,  arrived  at  the  old  Arick- 
aree village  on  Sunday,  the  17th.  Stemming  both  wind  and 
current,  the  boat  makes  but  slow  headway  toward  its  desti- 
nation. Fort  Rice  is  one  hundred  miles  above  here,  where 
the  next  great  council  is  to  be  held,  and  where  the  commis- 
sion is  expected  to  arrive  on  Wednesday  next.  Herds  of 
buffalo  and  antelope  already  begin  to  make  their  appearance 
on  either  shore  of  the  river,  and  a  number  have  been  shot 
by  hunters  from  the  boat.  Nothing  of  particular  interest 
marks  the  monotony  of  the  long,  slow  journey  of  a  traveler 
on  the  Upper  Missouri.  The  valley  of  the  Missouri  widens, 
and  affords  more  timber  and  meadow  land,  north  of  the 
forty-fifth  parallel.  The  bluffs  are  more  gradual  and  green, 
and  the  channel  of  the  river  not  so  much  broken  by  islands 
and  bars.  The  Big  Sheyenne  river,  which  drains  the  Black 
Hills  country,  is  the  largest  stream  entering  the  Upper  Mis- 


I  66  SKETCHES  OF  TRAVEI.  AND    EARLY  HARDSHIPS. 

souri  scmtli  of  ilie  ^'ello^vstone.  It  is  well  timbered,  and 
waters  a  fine  valley,  l)ut  is  walled  up  in  the  l)ack<;ronnd  by 
very  l)arren  and  hilly  country  near  its  month. 

At  the  old  Arickarce  village  are  found  the  remains  of  the 
residences  of  those  Indians  who  resided  here  sixty  years  ago. 
Where  this  \illage  was,  in  the  center  of  the  island,  is  now 
a  large  forest  of  cottonwood  trees,  and  the  fre(|uent  over- 
flow of  the  ri\er  has  ol)literate(l  all  traces  of  tlie  lodg-es. 
Here  it  was  that  Astor's  fur  parties  in  1811  left  the  river  and 
conuuenced  their  long  overland  journey  across  the  moun- 
tains to  the  I^acific. 


Fort  Rice,  June  25,  1866. 

The  Xortliwestern  Indian  Commission  arrived  at  Fort 
Rice,  on  the  Upper  ^lissouri,  on  the  21st  inst.  \\'e  found 
encamped  at  this  place  five  hundred  and  seventy-three  lodges 
of  Sioux  Indians,  numbering  about  three  thousand  souls, 
belonging  to  the  Upper  A^anktonnais  tribe,  the  Blackfeet, 
Sans  Arcs,  and  Ogalalabs.  Councils  have  been  held,  and 
terms  of  peace  arranged  Avith  the  different  tribes  on  sub- 
stantially the  same  terms  as  are  expressed  in  the  treat}'  with 
the  Santee  Sioux.  Over  seven  hundred  barrels  of  pork, 
Hour,  bread,  sugar  and  cofTee,  aside  from  a  fine  assortment 
of  presents,  have  already  been  distributed  by  the  commission 
to  the  various  tribes  along  the  river.  An  interesting  coun- 
cil was  had  with  the  surrendered  bands  of  the  rebellious  Sioux 
of  Minnesota. 

At  this  ])lace  was  again  perpetrated  the  horrible  ])erform- 
ance  of  the  "vSun  Dance"  b}-  the  U])per  Sioux.  One  hundred 
dancers  in  white  robes,  with  flags,  shields,  spears,  feathers, 
drums,  whistles,  sprigs  of  green  sage  and  head-wreaths  of 
flowers  and  pa'nt,  danced  all  night  and  day  to  propitiate  the 
spirit  of  the  sun.  The  yoimg  men  were  mutilated  on  the 
breasts  and  arms  by  the  old  medicine  man,  and. tied  b}'  cords 
throuy^h   the   bleeding   wounds   to  the   tall   center   sini-])ole. 


SKRTCIIKS  OF  TUAVlvl,  AND    KARI.V   11 A  k  I  )SI  I  I  I'S.  I'')/ 

where  they  danced  till  tlic  flcsli  broke  from  the  thon.i;.s,  when 
the  Great  S])irit  was  sn|)])ose(l  to  he  appeased  hy  the  sacri- 
fice of  Mood  and  suHerin^.  and  indnced  to  cover  the  plain 
with  bnffalo. 

Our  next  o-reat  conncil  ^ronnd  will  he  at  lM)rt  iierthold, 
for  w  hich  place  we  depart  to-morrow.  We  ah'eady  beg'in  to 
meet  the  steamers  on  their  retnrn  trij)  to  v^t.  Lonis.  Bnf- 
falo and  elk  are  also  seen  npon  the  ]n-airie  shores,  The  In- 
dian tribes  all  appear  to  be  desirons  of  peace,  bnt  they  are 
confnsed  and  jealons  amoni;'  themselves,  A  fight  occnrred 
to-day  among  their  headmen  as  to  who  was  first  chief  in  dis- 
tribnting  the  presents.  I  will  write  yon  again  from  Fort 
Eerthold. 


SPEECH  OF  BONE-NECKI^ACE,  HEAD    CHIEF    OF    THE    YANKTONNAIS    TKIIli:, 
BEFORE  THE  NORTHWE.STERN  INDIAN  COMMISSION  JUNE,  1866. 

Friends:  My  name  is  Bone-Necklace.  I  aiii  head  chief 
of  the  Lower  Yanktonnais  tribe.  My  tongne  is  not  forked.  I 
speak  the  trnth.  and  offer  yon  clean  hands.  This  conntry 
belongs  to  me,  and  this  great  river  (Missonri)  is  my  own. 
These  medals  here  npon  my  neck  were  given  me  by  the  Great 
Father's  white  men  many  long  summers  ago. 

I  long  ao^o  sent  mv  words  to  onr  (jreat  Father,  bnt  T 
have  received  no  answer.  1  fear  they  were  lost.  Every 
year  the  Great  Father's  white  children  come  out  to  ns  wath 
good  W'Ords  for  my  people;  but  that  is  all.  A\d'iy  don't  our 
Great  Father  fulfill  his  promises  with  his  red  children?  I 
see  white  men  touch  the  Bible  when  they  tell  the  truth.  I 
have  done  so,  too,  and  have  come  here  to  talk  plainly. 

The  Great  Spirit  made  multitudes  of  people,  and  placed 
them  over  the  world  wdiere  he  wanted  them.  He  placed  the 
red  men  here,  and  gave  them  these  rivers  and  forests,  and  roll- 
ing plains,  with  the  elk  and  buffalo  for  their  living.  But  now 
mv  Great  Father  is  sending  his  white  .soldiers  all  o\er  our 


l68  SKETCHES  OF  TK.WKL  AND   EARLY  HARDSHIPS. 

country,  and  is  driving  the  wild  game  from  my  children's 
months.  Where  shall  we  go?  \Vhat  shall  we  do?  On  the 
east  of  ns  the  Santees  long  ago  sold  their  lands  to  the  whites, 
and,  because  the  Great  Father  was  slow  to  bring  Ithem  food 
to  live  on  in  the  place  of  game,  they  rebelled  and  murdered 
white  women  and  children,  and  now  they  are  scattered  all 
over  our  country,  fleeing  from  the  white  soldiers. 

]\ly  fair  land  is  all  turned  over  as  by  a  whirlwind.  No 
more  can  our  warriors  plant  and  fish  in  safety  by  the  wooded 
brook-side,  nor  mv  yoimg  men  hunt  the  buffalo  on  the  plains. 
When  T  look  to  the  north,  and  see  the  smoke  of  the  white 
man's  trains  rise  from  the  plains,  and  find  a  great  wagon- 
road  over  my  hunting  grounds,  it  makes  my  heart  sad,  and 
I  think  my  (ireaf  Father  has  forgotten  his  red  children. 

I  look  out  on  the  face  of  my  native  rivers  and  plains,  and 
T  love  them  well.  I  also  love  the  whites,  and  do  not  want 
to  fight  them ;  but  I  cannot  hold  my  young  men  from  going 
to  war  when  they  see  the  game  driven  from  their  country. 
When  the  vhites  come  out  among  us  they  always  move  in 
large  armies ;  but  T  am  not  afraid  to  go  among  them  and 
shake  hands.  We  do  not  want  the  whites  to  travel  through 
our  lands  on  great  highways,  but  they  may  navigate  the  river. 
It  would  take  more  than  a  boat-load  of  goods  every  year  to 
pay  my  people  for  the  loss  of  game,  in  feeding  and  clothing 
their  children.  \A'hat  we  want  our  Great  Father  to  do  for 
us,  is  to  send  us  guns,  powder  and  ball,  and  let  us  live  un- 
molested on  our  own  plains  and  hunting-grounds. 

I  never  planted  in  my  life,  but  I  think  I  can  learn,  if  my 
Great'Father  will  but  help  me;  but  my  people  would  rather 
])ursue  the  hunting  of  game.  This  is  our  way  of  living; 
planting  is  yours.  Our  furs  will  buy  our  flour  and  sugar, 
and  our  guns  and  powder  will  kill  our  meat,  while  the  skins 
will  help  to  cover  our  nakedness,  and  then  we  will  be  friendly 
and  happy.  I  don't  say  that  you  ever  stole  anything  from 
us,  but  the  Yanktons  sold  a  portion  of  my  land  to  you. 

I  hope  that  these  words  will  reach  the  cars  of  my  Great 
heather,  that  he  mav  know  the  wants  of  his  red  children. 


SKETCHES  OF  TRAVEL  AXD   KART<V  HAKDSIIII'S.  I  69 

INDIAN  SUN-DANCK  OFFICIALLY  RlsPORTl';!). 

'     Fort  vSrTj,v.  June  25.  1866. 

The  whole  of  the  three  thousand  v^ionx  camped  about 
us  i^ave  early  information  of  their  desig-n  to  have  their  an- 
nual sun  fiance  at  this  time  and  place,  the  season  of  the  year, 
the  trees  in  full  leaf,  having  now  arrived:  and  thev  wished  us 
to  inform  Col.  Recor,  the  commander  of  the  soldiers,  that 
however  boisterous  their  demonstrations  might  be,  they 
would  all  be  peaceable  ;iud  o\  a  pious  character. 

A  herald  rode  or  ran  through  camp  on  the  evening  of 
the  29th,  calling  on  the  tribe  to  unite  in  the  religious  cere- 
monials that  were  to  conuuence  on  the  dav  following.  A 
spot  was  selected  near  the  central  part  oi  the  great  Indian 
camp,  which  extends  some  three  miles  along  the  river,  and 
lodges  were  removed  so  as  to  give  ample  room  for  the  erec- 
tion of  the  great  lodge  or  tent  which  they  afterward  erected. 

On  the  30th  there  was  a  procession  on  foot  bearing  poles 
for  the  tent,  escorted  by  a  hundred  horsemen  covered  with 
bushes,  the  whole  looking  like  a  moving  forest  coming  down 
from  the  green  high  hills  that  skirt  the  eastern  side  of  the 
plains.  As  they  arrived  on  the  plains,  the  horsemen  started 
at  full  speed  running  through  camp,  swinging  their  green 
boughs,  and  yelling  and  gesticulating  as  none  but  painted, 
half-naked  Indians  can.  This  riding  and  running  was  at^ 
tended  with  singing  and  howling  through  the  camp  for  about 
an  hour,  when  the  large  and  small  bushes  and  poles  were 
deposited  at  the  place  designated  for  the  great  meeting. 

During  the  night  and  early  next  morning,  new  riding  and 
racing  feats  went  on,  and  the  big  tent  was  erected.  A  tall 
pole  in. the  center  with  bushes  and  red  streamers  near  the 
top.  about  thirty  feet  high,  was  the  center  and  sort  of  sacred 
tree.  Around  this  a  circle  of  bushes  about  six  feet  high, 
with  an  opening  to  the  east,  was  carefully  arranged,  and  a 
partial  roof  from  this  bush  wall  was  spread  over  in  round  tent 
form,  making  a  pavilion  about  sixty  feet  in  diameter. 


I  JO  SKirrCilKS  of  TK.WKL  and   KARUY   llAKDSHirS. 

About  twelve  o'clock  the  musicians  seated  themselves  on 
the  south  side;  they  were  about  iifteen  in  ntuiiber.  They 
had  a  large  Indian  drum  made  of  a  large  bull's  hide  for  instru- 
ments, upon  which  they  began  their  monotonotis  doleftil  In- 
dian notes,  by  pounding  with  clubs  and  sticks,  and  all  sing- 
ing the  usual  sorrowful  Indian  dirge.  Twenty-five  men  and 
women,  facing  the  sun,  beg'an  the  religious  dance.  The  inen 
were  decorated  witli  head-dresses  of  feathers  and  strings  of 
furs,  their  naked  bodies  painted  generally  a  blue  clay  color, 
and  from  their  waists  down  they  wore  a  skirt  made  of  deer 
or  antelope  skins.  Each  had  a  little  whistle  made  of  bone 
in  his  mouth.  The  women  were  more  modest  in  their  cos- 
tume, but  all  were  painted  hideously  in  the  face,  and  all,  with 
eyes  upturned  toward  the  scorching  noonday  sun,  began 
their  dance,  each  keeping  time  with  the  drums  by  a  short 
hitch  of  the  body,  raising  the  heel,  and  uttering  a  squeak, 
squeak,  squeak,  with  the  whistle  as  the  drum  went  tum,  tum. 
turn.  Occasionally  they  could  stop  and  smoke,  but  were 
not  to  eat  or  drink,  and  did  not  during  the  twenty-four  hours 
of  the  performance. 

The  dancing  was  delayed  at  intervals  to  allow  tortures  to 
be  inflicted.  Two  or  three  men  stood  over  the  devotee  with 
needle  and  knife,  very  quietly  performing  penance  accord- 
ing to  the  customs  of  all  these  sacerdotal  rites,  as  folloAvs : 

First  they  cut  the  arms  in  several  places  by  striking  an 
awl  in  the  skin,  raising  it  and  cutting  out  a1)out  half  an  inch. 
This  is  done  on  both  arms,  and  sometimes  on  the  breast  and 
back.  Then  wooden  setons.  sticks  about  the  thickness  of  a 
common  lead  pencil,  are  inserted  through  a  hole  in  the  skin 
and  flesh.  Then  cords  or  ropes  are  attached  to  these  sticks 
by  one  end,  and  to  the  pole  at  the  other  end,  the  victim 
|)ulling  on  the  ropes  till  the  seton  sticks  tear  out  the  flesh 
and  skin.  We  saw  one  with  two  setons  thus  attached  to  his 
breast,  pulling  till  it  seemed  to  draw  the  skin  out  three  inches, 
and  finally  requiring  nearly  his  whole  might  to  tear  out  the 
seton.     One  painted  black  had  four  ropes  attached  at  once. 


SKIvTCHlCS  Ol'*  TRA\  Kh  AND    llAKI.N'    1 1  A  R  I  )S1 1  I  I'S.  I/"! 

The  pulliiii;-  out  is  done  in  the  dance,  and  is  carried  on 
in  the  time  of  tlie  music  l)y  jerk,  jerk,  jerk,  and  the  eve,  liead, 
and  front  all  facini;-  the  sun  in  a  form  of  suppHcation.  ( )ne 
had  four  setons  attached  to  four  dry  Ijuffalo  head  bunes.\ 
These  were  all  strung  and  suspended  to  his  llesh  bv  ropes 
that  raised  each  head  some  three  feet  off  the  oround.  lie 
danced  hard  to  tear  them  out.  hut  they  would  not  Ijreak  the 
skin.  One  came  off  the  stick  accidentally,  hut  it  was  again 
fastened  Finally  these  heavy  weights  (each  at  least  twenty- 
Hve  pounds  weight)  not  tearing  out  by  their  own  weight  and 
motion,  the  devotee  gave  a  comrade  a  horse  to  take  liokl 
of  the  horns  and  tear  out  the  setons.  While  these  men  were 
being  thus  tortured,  their  female  relations  came  in  and  had 
pieces  cut  out  of  their  arms  to  show  their  appreciation  of  the 
valor  and  devotion  of  their  kinsmen.  Still  as  soon  as  the 
victim  could  be  prepared,  the  music  w'as  renewed  and  the 
dismal  dance  went  on,  the  victims'  bodies  now  mingled  with 
blood,  paint  and  setons. 

There  being  several  steamboats  and  many  soldiers  here, 
a  great  crowd  of  spectators  rather  embarrassed  the  perform- 
ers, so  they  concluded  the  ceremonies  at  twelve  o'clock, 
having  only  danced  tw^enty-four  hours  instead  of  fortv-eight, 
as  they  usually  do.  All  the  devotees  gave  away  their  ponies 
and  other  valuables  to  their  friends,  had  their  wounds  care- 
fully dressed  by  attendant  medicine  men,  and  sat  down  to  an 
abundant  feast  of  dog  soup  and  buffalo  meat. 


TKEATINO  WITH  THE  INDIANS. 


Above  Fort  Union,  M.  T.,  July  19,  1866. 
The  Up|ier  Missouri  Indian  Commission  have  this  day 
concluded  their  councils  and  treaty  stipulations  with  the  As- 
siniboin  and  Mountain  Crow  Indians.  By  the  terms  of  the 
treaties  consummated  with  these  two  tribes  the  government 
is  put  in  possession  of  the  right  of  way  up  the  great  valley 


1/2  SKETCHES  OF  TRAVEE  AND  EARLY  HARDSHIPS. 

of  the  Yellowstone  river  to  the  gold  mines  of  Montana  Ter- 
ritory, on  the  head  waters  of  the  Missouri. 

The  treaty  is  to  run  for  a  term  of  twenty  years,  and  in 
consideration  of  this  grant  of  lands  for  stations  and  high- 
ways and  the  continued  friendship  of  these  Indians  for  that 
period,  the  government  is  obligated  to  pay  annually  $55,000 
in  goods,  provisions,  clothing,  etc., — $25,000  to  the  Crows 
and  $30,000  to  the  Assiniboins. 

An  outright  cession  of  lands  is  made  by  the  Assiniboins 
to  the  Ignited  States  of  all  their  right  and  title  to  that  por- 
tion of  their  land  running  from  the  mouth  of  the  Yellow- 
stone up  to  the  mouth  of  Powder  river;  thence  on  a  straight 
line  to  the  mouth  of  Milk  river;  thence  down  the  Missouri 
to  the  aforesaid  junction  of  the  Yellowstone  and  INIissouri ; 
together  with  a  strip  of  land  opposite  and  adjacent  thereto 
on  the  east  side  of  the  Missouri,  twenty-four  miles  long  b) 
twelve  miles  back,  including  Fort  Union  and  the  new  mil- 
itary fort  now  being  built  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Yellow- 
stone. 

The  Assiniboins  are  also  to  have  an  agent  to  reside  with 
them  on  the  aforementioned  reserve,  to  look  after  their  in- 
terests, and  teach  them  to  plant  and  raise  crops,  and  to  see 
that  their  fields  are  properly  distributed  among  the  respec- 
tive bands  each  year.  The  Crows  are  to  have  an  agent  also, 
who  is  to  reside  on  a  reserve  at  the  mouth  of  Milk  river,  on 
the  Missouri,  including  the  country  for  a  radius  of  twenty 
miles  around  said  point. 

I'he  Assiniboins  number  440  lodges  or  families,  and  are 
divided  into  six  different  bands,  with  a  head  man  or  chief  to 
each  band,  with  their  great  chief — "Cut  Thumb" — at  the  head 
of  the  nation  or  tribe.  The  Crows  consist  of  350  lodges  or 
families,  and  arc  divided  into  tlic  Prairie  and  Mountain 
Crows,  both  comprising  twenty-three  l)ands,  with  as  many 
head  men. 

In  style  of  manners,  noble  bearing  and  generous  man- 
hood, the  Mountain  Crows  surpass  any  tribe  on  the  Missouri 


SKKTCIIKS  Ol'  TRAVEL  AND   K ARLY  HARDSHIPS.  I  73 

river.  We  found  them  encamped  in  a  spacious  arbor  of 
green  bowers  and  awnings  of  rol)es,  with  a  large  banner  of 
the  Stars  and  Stripes  floating  over  their  encampment.  They 
had  with  them  270  horses,  and  had  come  a  journey  of  more 
than  400  miles  over  a  rough  and  mountainous  country,  to 
meet  their  Great  Father's  whites  and  shake  hands  with  them. 

They  were  quite  lavish  in  their  presentations  of  robes  and 
Imfifalo  meat,  and  after  the  lirst  council  they  retired  to  their 
lodges  for  dinner  without  begging  for  food  of  the  commis- 
sion,— the  first  instance  of  the  kind  we  have  met  among  all 
the  tribes  on  the  river. 

They  maintain  a  superstitious  regard  for  and  belief  in  the 
goodness  and  abilities  of  their  Great  leather.  One  of  their 
young  chiefs,  in  his  speech,  entreated  the  commission  to  tell 
the  Great  Father  to  cover  their  plains  with  great  herds  of 
buffalo,  and  to  send  but  little  snow  on  their  hunting  grounds, 
that  they  might  kill  the  game  near  the  camps  in  the  cold 
winter.  He  said  sickness  had  diminished  the  number  of 
their  braves  and  warriors,  and  the  hard  winter  had  killed  ofT 
their  best  horses  for  the  chase ;  and  -they  wanted  the  Great 
Father  to  bless  them  and  their  ponies  with  the  power  of  pro- 
lific reproduction,  that  they  might  again  become  strong  and 
rich  in  men  and  horses,  the  better  to  defend  themselves 
against  the  invasions  of  the  Sioux. 

They  were  much  dissatisfied  with  the  provisions  of  the 
old  Laramie  treaty  of  1851  (which  gave  them  about  $3,000 
annually),  and  said  that  the  amount  was  so  small  that  i'tj 
Avould  not  go  round  among  their  people,  and  that  for  the  last 
three  years  they  had  not  come  down  to-  the  river  after  it, 
preferring  to  hunt  the  buffalo.  They  were  also  very  much  dis- 
appointed after  signing  the  treaty  and  receiving  their  pres- 
ents and  the  last  payment  under  the  old  treaty.  They  had 
formed  an  opinion  that  as  soon  as  the  bargain  was  made  and 
the  treaty  signed,  they  would  inmiediately  receive  their  lirst 
payment  of  $25,000.  After  a  long  explanation  from  the  com- 
missioners, and  some  sharp  words  from  the  chief,  in  relation 


1/4  SKETCHES  OF  TRAVEL  AND   EARLY  HARDSHIPS. 

to  the  "double  tongued"  white  men.  they  took  their  small 
supply  and  started  on  their  long  trip  to  their  moimtain  homes. 

The  Assiniboins  were  also  opposed  to  the  sale  of  their 
lands,  and  were  only  induced  to  do  so  fey  long  explanation 
from  the  commissioners. 

Four  hundred  lodges  of  Uncapapa  Sioux  were  encamped 
up  the  Yellowstone  river  a  few  miles,  but  the  head  chief  re- 
fused to  meet  the  commission  in  council,  and  sent  a  few 
of  their  young  men  to  get  permission  to  cross  the  river  and 
trade  their  robes  at  Fort  Union.  The  traders  finally  crossed 
the  river,  and  went  with  their  goods  to  the  Sioux  camp,  and 
in  some  altercation  with  the  Indians  while  there  in  relation 
to  the  price  of  furs,  several  shots  were  fired  between  the  par- 
ties, and  one  of  the  traders  and  a  soldier  were  slightly  wound- 
ed with  arrows. 

The  treaties  with  the  Assiniboins  and  Mountain  Crows 
being  concluded,  the  commission  will  start  at  once  on  their 
return  to  the  States.  Their  report  of  speeches  made  in 
council  already  fills  240  pages  of  closely  written  legal  cap 
paper.  Every  word  spoken  by  a  chief  is  written  down,  and 
it  keeps  a  reporter  and  secretary  at  work  day  and  night.  Dr. 
C.  A.  Reed  of  Iowa  is  reporter,  and  ^l.  K.  Armstrong  of  the 
Dakotah  Historical  Society  recording  secretary;  and  the  re- 
port when  printed  will  contain  a  volume  of  important  knowl- 
edge of  the  Indians  of  the  Northwest. 


EAREV  SURVEYS  IN  THE  RED  RIVER  OF  THE  NORTH. 

Fort  Abercrombie,  D.  T., 
On  the  Red  River  of  the  North,  Aug.  8,  1867. 

Leaving  ^'ankton  on  the  afternoon  of  the  i8th  of  July 
with  four  men  and  two  teams,  we  connncnced  a  ])re]iminar\' 
survey  of  the  Minnesota  &  Missouri  River  Railroad  by  run- 
ning along  under  the  foot  of  the  table-land  back  of  town, 


SKKTCIIES  Ol'  TRW  i:i.  AND    I'.ARIA'   HARDSilll'S  175 

to  and  along-  the  territorial  road  leadinir  to  the  ferry  on 
James  river.  From  there  the  line  of  survey  passes  o\er  a 
gently  rolling  prairie,  crossing  Clay  creek.  Turkey  creek, 
Vermillion  river,  and  the  Big  Sioux  river  m  the  great  bend 
west  of  the  falls,  reaching  the  state  line  of  Minnesota  at  the 
distance  of  sixty-eight  miles,  thirty-seven  chains  and  eighty 
links,  at  which  point  a  connection  is  made  with  the  Southern 
Minnesota  Railroad,  and  also  the  surveyed  line  of  the  Min- 
nesota Valley  Railroad  from  St.  Paul  I'l'a  Alankato  to  the 
Missouri  river.  The  road  passes  over  a  fme  agricultural 
country,  easy  grades  and  convenient  water  ])ri\ileges,  with 
timber  stations  at  no  points  over  eleven  miles  apart. 

At  Fort  Dakota,  or  Sioux  Falls,  we  received  the  hosi)i- 
talities  of  Major  Knox,  commanding-,  who,  giving  me  letters 
of  recommendation  to  the  commanders  of  Fort  Abercrom- 
b!e  and  Fort  Ransom  on  the  Sheyenne,  bid  us  good  cheer  on 
our  long  and  lonely  journey.  Leaving  Fort  Dakota  on  the 
2 1  St,  we  traveled  eight  days  over  the  great  plains  in  the; 
direction  of  the  Upper  Minnesota  river,  passing  by  way  of 
the  head  of  the  Des  ]\Ioines  river,  the  Great  Oasis,  I^ake 
Shetek.  and  the  Red  Wood  river,  reaching  the  A'linnesota 
on  the  29th,  having  endured  the  most  inexpressible  suffering 
and  fatigue  in  the  way  of  swimming  streams, — men  and 
horses, — and  ferrying  our  loads  over  in  wagon  boxes,  doub- 
ling teams  and  wading  sloughs  seven  times  in  one  da\',  and 
then  lying  down  nights  only  to  fight  swarms  of  mos(]nitoes 
till  daylight.  Our  mosquito  bars  were  no  more  protection 
against  these  swarming  pests  than  thin  moonshine. 

Recruiting  one  day  at  Red  \\'ood  Falls,  we  started  out 
on  the  2d  for  Fort  Abercrombie  on  Red  river,  a  distance  of 
180  miles.  We  passed  up  the  west  side  of  the  Minnesota 
river  through  the  "Bloody  Grounds"  of  the  Indian  massa- 
cre of  1862,  described  in  Judge  Flandreau's  history. 
The  battle  grounds,  rifie  pits  and  breastworks  were  still 
visible  along  the  trail  pursued  by  the  retreating  sav- 
ages when  followed  by  the  troops  after  the  horrid  work  was 
done.      The  crumbline  brick   walls  of  the  buildings   burned 


I  76     SKETCHES  OF  TRAVEL  AND  EARLY  HARDS II  1 1'S. 

by  the  Indians  are  still  standing  at  the  upper  and  lower  agen- 
cies and  for  man}^  miles  above  along  the  river,  very  many  of 
which  are  being  occupied  and  repaired  b}-  emigrants  who 
have  lately  moved  up  tlie  valley.  Passing  on  up  the  west 
side  of  Big  Stone  lake  and  Lake  Traverse,  under  the  foot 
of  the  picturesque  Coteau  on  our  left,  for  fifty  miles,  we  ar- 
rived on  the  great  flat  divide  where  the  waters  arc  sleeping 
and  meditating  as  to  the  course  to  pursue,  north  or  south 
which  region  I  must  call  the  Dead  Lands.  Here  our  se- 
verest troubles  commenced  with  armies  of  mosquitoes  and 
buffalo  gnats  which  beggar  description.  The  whole  country 
has  been  flooded  with  rains,  and  morning  fogs  hang  over  the 
dead  level  of  the  country  undisturbed  by  a  breeze.  Our  bars, 
tents  and  blankets  and  every  other  availal)le  means  of  forti- 
fication against  the  swarming  hordes  proved  inefifectual. 
The  sting  of  these  little  insects  is  fairly  poisonous,  and  cause 
men  and  horses  to  roll,  and  fret,  and  pitch,  and  kick,  and 
groan  all  night.  Our  horses  are  almost  as  poor  as  skele^ 
tons,  and  our  own  faces  look  like  the  last  run  of  the  measles. 
This  region  of  dead  lands  extends  along  the  whole  length  of 
Lake  Traverse  to  the  point  where  the  world  leans  to  the 
north,  and  where  the  people  say  dozen  north  and  up  south. 
Red  river  here  beginning  its  slow  and  sluggish  crawling 
northward.  In  crossing  this  divide  we  passed  the  ground 
on  which  were  frozen  to  death  in  a  snow  storm  in  February, 
1865,  the  unfortunate  soldiers  who  started  from  Fort  Wads- 
worth  to  .'Vbercrombie.  some  of  whom  were  not  found  till 
the  following  spring.  In  passing  over  this  great  coteau  our 
lone  canvass  covered  wagons  seemed  to  me  like  two  little 
white  specks  of  civilization  moving  across  the  broad  unin- 
habitable disc  of  the  Northwest,  and  I  felt  the  spirit  of  the 
ancient  Psalmist  in  the  lines : 

"As  wlicn  ihe  weary  traveler  gains 

The  height  of  some  commanding  hill, 
And  views  beyond  the  boundless  plains. 
He  presses  on,  though  weary  still." 


SKETCIIKS  OF  TRAVia  AND    IIAIUA'   HARDSHIPS.  1/7 

And  passing  onward  we  reached  the  great  valley  of  Red 
river,  where  the  blue  sky  and  fleeting  white  clouds  admon- 
ished us  that  we  were  approaching  those  high  northern  lat- 
itudes where  the  rivers  pour  their  waters  northward  into 
British  America. 


On  Tnternationai^  Boundarv, 
Red  River  of  the  North,  B.  A.,  Sept.  i,  1867. 

We  arrived  safely  upon  British  soil,  having  brought  up 
the  eleventh  standard  and  seventh  guide  meridian  through 
one  hundred  and  forty  miles  of  wild  country  infested  by  mos- 
quitoes and  Indians.  The  point  of  intersection  with  the  in- 
ternational  boundary  is  eight  miles  and  fifty-four  chains  west 
of  Red  River  of  the  North. 

Leaving  Fort  Abercrombie  on  the  9th  of  August,  we 
passed  up  the  east  side  of  Red  river,  along  the  Fort  Garry 
trail,  fifty  miles  to  Georgetown,  five  miles  below  the  mouth 
of  the  Sheyenne  of  the  North.  Here  we  found  a  half-dozen 
houses  belonging  to  the  Hudson  Bay  Company.  A  trader 
is  there,  and  perhaps  half  a  dozen  white  men  in  the  employ 
of  the  same  company.  Here  we  found  a  good  ferry,  it  be- 
ing the  crossing  of  the  Red  river  half-breed  trains  to  Fort 
Garry  and  Hudson  Bay  from  St.  Paul. 

We  succeeded  in  buying  some  milk  and  a  large  catfish, 
having  entered  the  land  of  lish  and  pemmican ;  no  bread,  flour, 
or  pork  to  be  had  for  love  or  greenbacks. 

We  found  the  river  heavily  timbered  with  fine  oak,  ash 
and  elm  between  Abercrombie  and  this  place,  and  a  uniform 
deep  channel  in  the  stream,  the  little  steamer  International 
having  made  two  trips  to  this  post  from  British  America  since 
spring,  in  the  employ  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company. 

Leaving  Georgetown  on  the  morning  of  the  12th,  after 
one  of  the  most  terrible  thunderstorms  that  I  ever  witnessed, 
we  arrived  and  encamped  opposite  the  mouth  of  Wild  river, 


178  SKETCHES  or  TRAVEL  AXD  EARLY  HARDSHIPS. 

just  at  sunset,  this  being  the  starting  point  of  my  survey. 
On  the  morning  of  the  13th,  after  a  long  search  in  the  woods 
for  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  being  nearly  bled  to  death 
by  swarms  of  ravenous  mosquitoes,  we  emerged  from  the 
wilderness  like  "Rachel  weeping  for  her  children,"  bringing 
with  us  the  line  to  the  open  plain.  We  now  felt  as  though  the 
long  lost  was  found,  and  we  rejoiced  with  all  our  pains  and 
sufferings,  inflicted  through  twenty-five  long  days  and  nights 
of  travel  on  the  plains.  But  our  trouble  was  not  ended'. 
Our  line  led  us  through  a  country  haunted  by  the  hostile 
Sioux  and  thieving  Chippewa  Indians.  But  we  moved  on 
with  our  lives  in  our  hands,  six  men  of  us,  hoping  to  run  the 
gauntlet  and  pass  unharmed  and  silently  through  the  coun- 
try. Having  run  our  line  twenty-four  miles  west  of  Red  river, 
we  crossed  many  large  hunting  trails  of  the  Sheyenne  and 
Devil's  Lake  bands,  but  encountered  no  Indians  until  we 
arrived  at  the  head  of  Goose  river,  where  our  noise  created 
by  cutting  a  roadway  through  the  woods  and  crossing  the 
stream  with  our  teams,  and  the  shooting  of  an  elk  which 
jumped  up  in  front  of  us,  brought  to  view  four  Chippewa 
Indians,  who  came  from  a  large  encampment  of  that  tribe 
farther  down  the  stream.  They  shook  hands,  but  looked 
suspicious  and  wanted  to  sleep  with  us  one  night,  saying 
their  camp  was  more  than  "one  sleep"  distant — my  Hud- 
son Bay  employe  speaking  the  Chippewa  tongue.  We  gave 
them  supper,  put  them  to  bed  in  a  manner  to  protect  our- 
selves, and  kept  watch  through  the  night.  They  wrapped 
themselves  up  in  their  blankets  so  tight  that  each  Indian 
was  no  larger  than  a  sack  of  flour,  and  slept  and  snored  and 
bid  the  mosquitoes  defiance.  In  the  morning  we  gave  them 
some  cofTee  and  flour,  a  plug  of  tobacco  each,  two  quarters 
of  our  elk,  shook  hands  and  started  on  our  line  by  sunri.se. 
leaving  them  by  the  camp  fire. 

We  continued  our  line  day  by  day,  crossing  the  Turtle. 
Salt  and  I*ark  rivers,  all  well  timbered  with  oak  and  ash, 
and  requiring  a  half-day's  work  at  each  stream  to  cut  road- 


SKIC'rclIES  OF  TRAVEL  AND  EARLY  HARDSHIPS.  1/9 

ways  throui^h  tlie  woods  and  build  fords  over  the  streams. 
At  Salt  Branch  we  nearly  perished  for  water,  the  stream  be- 
ing as  salty  as  pork  brine,  and  we  were  obliged  to  camp  for 
the  night  on  the  stream  after  a  long  hot  day's  niii.  fn  the 
morning  each  man  procured  himself  a  drink  of  dew  by  drag- 
ging cloths  through  the  long  grass  and  wringing  them  out 
in  dishes. 

The  next  day  we  arrived  at  Park  river,  ja  fine  running 
stream  well  wooded  and  stocked  with  elk  and  bufifalo;  but 
we  refrained  from  shooting  along  the  line.  Leaving  this 
stream  we  again  nearly  perished  for  water  and  wood,  bringing 
upon  us  both  hunger  and  thirst.  We  dug  three  wells,  ten 
feet  deep  each,  while  running  seven  miles  of  line,  with  no 
signs  of  water,  when  we  were  forced  to  leave  the  meridian 
line  ten  miles  south  of  Pembina  river,  and  walk  that  distance 
for  water.  We  tlien  brought  up  our  line  and  made  the  inter- 
section with  the  International  Boundary,  having  sent  for 
fresh  horses  to  lake  us  through,  our  own  being  nothing  but 
skeletons.  We  here  found  our  friend  Stutsman  at  Pembina. 
in  the  midst  of  a  fine  farming  settlement  of  half  breeds.  A 
British  trading  post  stands  one  and  one-half  miles  north  of 
the  line  and  two  and  one-half  miles  from  Pembina.  I  start 
to-morrow  to  survey  the  country  between  here  and  St.  Jo- 
seph, with  half  breed  carts  for  my  transportation. 


St.  Joseph.  1).  T.,  Oct.  8.  1867. 
To-day  I  have  attended  one  of  the  far  famed  Red  River 
elections.  T  came  in  late  last  night  from  my  line  nine  miles 
1)ack  in  the  woods  to  witness  the  show  to-day.  Here,  you 
will  remember,  is  the  country  where,  in  the  early  days  of  Jo 
Rolette  and  Minnesota  territory,  the  balance  of  power  was 
weighed  and  never  found  wanting.  But,,  indeed,  the  Red 
River  settlement  is  a  reality.  Two  hundred  and  fift}'  votes 
were  polled  to-day  at  St.  Jo,  mostly  all  in  the  morning  before 


180  SKETCHES  OF  TRAVEL  AND  EARLY  HARDSHIPS. 

I  reached  the  polls,  and  about  thirty  at  Pembina.  Our  old 
friend,  Enos  Stutsman,  is  elected  representative  without  op- 
position, and  will  be  down  to  Yankton  this  winter  to  bring 
before  the  legislature  the  wants  and  merits  of  Northern  Da- 
kota. Some  of  the  memorials  of  this  section  will  be  for  a 
district  land  office  on  Pembina  river,  a  new  county  and  more 
representation,  and,  probably,  a  division  of  the  territory, 
forming  a  new  and  northern  one,  by  the  name  of  Chippewa. 

To-morrow  I  start  my  men  and  teams  homeward  on  their 
long  prairie  journey  of  four  hundred  miles  to  Yankton.  I  re- 
main here  some  ten  days,  to  extend  the  international  bound- 
ary six  miles  farther  west  to  the  foot  of  the  Coteau  du  Prairie, 
and  to  complete  the  sectionizing  of  St.  Jo  township.  I  shall 
return  by  way  of  St.  Paul,  and  will  reach  Yankton  about  the 
ist  of  November. 

Away  up  here  in  this  northern  clime  we  already  feel  the 
approach  of  winter.  Great  black  frosts  fall  nightly  from  the 
blue  cold  skies,  and  the  high  autumn  winds  are  driving  the 
prairie  fires  all  over  the  plains.  The  woods  are  casting  their 
yellow  leaves  thick  upon  the  ground  and  the  constant  moan 
of  the  deep  forests  sounds  wintry  indeed. 

This  portion  of  Dakota  is  in  reality  a  timbered  region. 
During  the  last  week  I  ran  a  line  seventeen  miles  long 
through  heavy  forest  of  oak,  ash,  birch  and  whitewood,  ex- 
tending along  the  base  of  the  mountains  from  the  south  to 
the  north.  These  woods  abound  ^^ith  bears,  moose,  andl 
wolves,  in  the  way  of  game;  and  as  for  fruit,  strawberries, 
cherries  and  cranberries  grow  in  profusion.  The  birds  of  the 
forest  are  here  also  different  from  those  in  southern  Dakota; 
the  blue  jay,  the  pigeon  and  mocking-bird  being  seen  daily 
in  the  woods. 

As  for  the  people,  there  are  a  great  many  here,  and  they 
live  on  pounded  meat,  or  "pemmican."  They  call  themselves 
"Plain  Hunters,"  and  make  their  annual  summer  visits  to  the 
plains,  with  horses,  oxen,  carts  and  families,  to  procure  meat 
and  robes,  and  return  late  in  the  fall  to  live  in  their  thatched- 


SKETCHES  OF  TRAVElv  AND  KARLY  TIARnSTTlPS.  I^I 

roofed  log-  houses  on  Pembina  river,  of  which  the  woods  nre 
full  for  sixteen  miles  below  St.  Jo.  Some  of  them  have  small 
.f^nrdens  and  barley  fields  which  yield  abundantly  when  well 
attended,  and  is  sometimes  done  by  members  of  the  family 
who  are  too  old,  too  feeble  or  too  youno-  to  go  to  the  plains. 
This  pemmican  trade  is  like  our  fisheries,  and  is  carried  on 
almost  as  extensively,  300  carts  sometimes  going  out  from 
this  place  in  one  train.  The  pemmican  is  mnde  by  drying  and 
stripping  the  bufFalo  meat,  then  threshing  the  same  with  a 
flail,  like  wheat,  till  broken  into  fine  shreds.  The  tallow  of 
the  buffalo  is  then  heated  and  poured  onto  the  meat,  and  the 
whole  mixed  up  with  a  wooden  shovel  like  mortar  for  plaster- 
ing, and  the  entire  compound,  with  berries  and  other  fruits, 
is  then  shoveled  into  sacks  of  raw  bufFalo  hide,  which,  when 
cooled,  become  as  hard  as  wood,  and  has  to  be  cut  or  shaved 
off  with  an  ax  for  cooking.  This  is  the  food  we  have  been 
living  on  for  the  last  six  weeks,  and  I  must  say  that,  when 
dished  up  "in  style,"  with  onions,  potatoes,  flour,  salt  and 
pepper,  it  is  very  nutritious  and  palatable  food.  This,  with 
bla(;k  tea,  maple  sugar,  and  rather  hard  shelled  bread,  com- 
pletes a  northern  meal. 

x\s  for  the  means  of  transportation  up  here,  large  wooden- 
wheeled  carts,  tireless,  and  with  unbanded  hubs,  harnessed 
with  raw  hide  to  an  ox  or  horse,  constitutes  a  team,  so  much 
so  that  the  roads  are  all  three-tracked  cart  trails,  making  them 
very  tiresome  for  two  horses.  During  my  survey  up  here  I  have 
had  some  Cree  and  French  half-breeds  with  me  and  two  of 
these  ox  carts,  and  it  would  make  a  white  man  look  wild  to 
see  these  two-wheeled  things  go  through  the  woods,  smash- 
ing through  brush,  tumbling  over  logs  and  fallen  trees,  and 
plungmg  down  steep  river  banks,  sometimes  both  ox  and 
half-breed  under  the  cart,  and  the  next  moment  coming  up 
all  straight  on  the  other  side.  As  for  myself,  I  stopped  rid- 
ing in  these  northern  sulkies  after  my  first  effort  in  crossing 
a  creek  where  I  was  thrown,  compass  and  all,  high  and  dry, 
into  a  neighboring  bramble  bush. 


I<S2  SKETCHES  OE  TRAVEL  AND  EARLY  HARDSHIPS. 

I  believe  these  people  are  among"  the  happiest  in  the 
world.  If  thcv  only  have  enough  to  eat,  storm,  sunshine  and 
hardships  are  all  the  same  to  them,  and  after  their  day's 
labor  is  done  and  supper  is  over,  they  build  a  blazing  camp 
fire  and  with  the  iron  kettle  for  a  drum  they  perform  their 
Indian  dance  and  songs  for  hours,  and  when  the}-  retire  for 
the  night  they  kneel  by  their  beds  and  go  through  with  the 
Catholic  prayer.  The  Catholic  religion  prevails  almost  ex- 
clusively among  the  people  here.  They  have  a  church  at  St. 
Jo,  and  there  is  a  large  attendance  ever}^  Sabbath. 

I  have  heard  nothing  from  Yankton  for  a  long  time,  and 
know  nothing  of  what  is  going  on  in  southern  Dakota.  ] 
long  to  get  back  to  the  Missouri  ri\er. 


I  AN    EARLY  TRIP  TO    CHICAGO.  i 

St.  Paul.  Feb.  i8,  1868. 
Having  a  little  leisure  to-day,  I  must  tell  you  of  my  east- 
ern rambles  and  western  behavior  since  leaving-  the  ''Land 
of  Dakota."  Taking  one  of  Thompson's  "dead  axle"  wagons 
at  Yankton  (the  stage  being  full),  I  seated  myself  squarely 
over  the  hind  axle,  on  the  bottom  of  the  wagon,  the  front 
seats,  of  course,  being  reserved  for  ladies  and  large  trunks — 
with  one  hand  holding  on  to  each  side  of  the  box,  much  like 
a  countryman  going-  to  a  circus.  Being  "all  set,"  the  driver 
let  loose  his  steeds,  and  drove  to  the  first  station,  twenty-one 
miles  over  a  rough  frozen  road,  at  a  rib-breaking  speed,  like 
a  locomotive  1)ehind  lime.  Tt  was  very  cold,  and  the  driver 
said  he  was  "going  for  a  fire."  I  thought  he  was,  and  told  him 
that  I  believed  the  fire  would  smell  very  strong  of  brimstone 
if  he  kept  on  at  that  pace.  My  head  was  continually  bobbing 
up  and  down  in  the  frosty  air  like  a  churn  dasher,  while  the 
rest  of  my  body  was  bouncing  all  over  the  bottom  of  the 
wagon,  'i'he  women  were  at  last  driven  by  the  cokl  w^nd 
from  the  spring  seats  to  the  bed  of  the  wagon,  when  milli- 


SKETCHES  OF  TRAVEL  AND  EARLY  HARDSHIPS.  I«S3 

nery,  trunks  and  band-boxes  became  sorrowfully  tumbled 
and.  "mixed."  On  arriving  at  Taylor's  Twenty-One-Mile 
Station,  I  was  completely  undone  'and  submissive,  and  al- 
though a  single  man,  women  and  eastern  tours  had  no  fur- 
ther charms  for  crippled  me.  I  w^ent  to  the  dinner  table  with 
the  roar  of  a  lumber  wagon  in  my  ears  and  my  head  still 
dodging  up  and  down  like  a  gobble  turkey.  Thereafter  we 
rode  very  comfortably  until  dark,  when  a  snow  storm  set  in 
which  caused  us  to  lose  the  road  over  the  Sioux  City  hills, 
whereby  I  was  obliged  to  walk  ahead  of  the  team  for  a  dis- 
tance of  four  miles  into  that  frontier  city  of  rail  and  telegraph. 
We  arrived  at  the  Northwestern  Hotel  at  twelve  o'clock  at 
night,  and  were  met  by  the  clerk  at  the  door  with  the  cold 
satisfaction  of  "beds  here  all  full  of  railroad  men."  In  this 
predicament  our  friend  Thompson,  proprietor  of  the  Yankton 
fast  line  of  "blood  invigorating"  coaches,  came  to  our  relief, 
and  secured  us  comfortable  quarters  for  the  night. 

Next  morning  I  took  a  sleigh  (no  more  wagons  for  me), 
and  drove  twelve  miles  down  the  graded  road  of  the  Sioux 
City  &  Pacific  road  to  Snowbank  Station,  where  we  met  a 
construction  train,  which  had  just  brought  up  and  discharged 
a  load  of  iron.  "We  here  took  the  cars  for  Chicago,"  in  the 
midst  of  a  wdld  prairie,  by  first  clambering  over  a  snow  drift, 
and  then  piling  our  trunks  up  four  steps,  from  whicli  we 
climbed  into  a  small  baggage  car  and  paid  fifty  cents  to  be 
taken  down  to  the  passenger  station  at  Gravelles,  at  which 
point  we  were  transferred  to  magnificent  cars  and  paid  $24.25 
for  tickets  to  Chicago.  After  fifty  hours'  ride  by  rail  we  ar- 
rived at  that  great  city,  where  people  "separate"  and  travel 
in  opposite  directions.  Here  I  parted  with  my  companions, 
and  was  "left  all  alone  in  my  glor}^"  in  the  New  York  of  the 
West,  with  its  260,000  inhabitants. 

I  was  awakened  in  the  morning  by  a  dismal  roar  like 
thunder,  and  immediately  looked  out  the  window  as  usual  to 
witness  a  driving  snow  storm  on  the  western  prairie.  I  did 
not  see  it.     But  below  me  was  a  rushing  throng  of  people 


I  84  SKETCHES  OE  TRAVEL  AND  EARLY  HARDSHIPS. 

crowding  hurriedly  along  the  street  and  pavement  between 
the  towering  walls  of  massive  granite  blocks. — -footmen, 
hacks,  street  cars,  and  the  irrepressible  and  screaming  news- 
boys, in  a  torrent  of  confusion.  For  the  first  five  minutes 
it  struck  me  that  they  were  all  trying  to  run  over  each  other; 
but  when  T  watched  the  expert  dodging  that  was  done,  the 
scene  looked  more  as  though  the  Indians  had  attacked  the 
city,  and  were  shooting  their  arrows  down  the  street.  About 
this  time  my  naked  knee  came  in  contact  with  the  hot  heat- 
ing pipe  beneath  the  window,  when  I  was  reminded  that  I 
had  better  "dress  up."  I  took  the  warm  suggestion,  and  acted 
accordingly.  I  went  down,  took  a  lunch,  strapped  on  my  re- 
volver, and  made  my  first  debut  into  the  street.  I  took  up 
Randolph  and  down  Lake  streets,  but  not  being  used  to 
"small  margins."  T  accordingly  ran  against  about  every  third 
man  and  nearly  every  woman  I  met.  Some  of  the  Chicago 
women  don't  dodge  well,  at  all.  I  was  forcibly  struck  with 
this  fact  several  times,  and  therefore  started  to  retrace  my 
steps  and  took  the  middle  of  the  street,  hoping  thereby  to  get 
a  broader  prairie  margin ;  but  here  I  was  punched  by  police- 
men, trod  on  by  horses,  and  run  down  by  street  cars  until 
with  the  loss  of  my  hat  and  one  overshoe.  T  leaped  into  a  hack, 
paid  the  driver  five  dollars  for  his  hat  and  gave  him  a  dollar 
to  drive  me  to  the  hotel.  Yes,  and  rather  than  to  have  Avent 
further  on  foot  I  would  have  bought  his  horses  and  hack  and 
struck  out  for  Dakota.  But  I  had  now  found  my  man  "a  city 
pilot,"  with  steeds  and  carriage. 

We  went  to  the  "city  water  works."  where  the  city  fathers 
have  nm  their  shafts  into  the  ground  and  are  stealing  water 
from  old  Lake  Michigan,  through  a  submarine  tunnel  nearly 
two  miles  in  length.  The  engineer  asked  me  what  I  thought 
of  the  thing.  T  told  him  it  might  be  a  good  joke  for  Chicago 
to  steal  their  water  in  that  way.  but  'twas  a  mighty  big  bore 
on  the  lake,  and  out  West  would  be  considered  a  case  of  C7'im. 
con.  He  then  took  me  to  the  top  of  the  tower  from  which 
the  whole  city  is  spread  oiu  to  view,  and  resembles  a  distant 


SKETCHES  OF  TRAVEL  AND  EARLY  HARDSHIPS.  ^^S 

smoking  forest  of  pines.  Descending  from  the  tower.  T  vis- 
ited a  few  of  the  Chicago  elevators,  and  went  in  the  evening 
to  hear  Booth  at  McVicker's,  got  a  reserved  seat,  and  found 
myself  seated  in  front  of  two  ladies  who  knew  T  was  from  the 
wild  West.  Soon  Booth  appeared  on  the  stage  and  the  whole 
house  commenced  clapping.  Booth  delivered  himself  of  his 
first  act  and  retired,  Avhen  the  house  claps  again  and  keeps 
clapping,  until  Booth  appears  again  and  bows,  when  there  is 
another  outburst  of  ridiculous  clap,  claps,  clapping.  Consid- 
ering that  I  had  seen  enough  of  that,  I  went  out  not  knowing 
whether  the  clapping  was  for  me  or  Booth.  From  here  T  went 
to  the  great  fire  on  Lake  street,  which  at  the  time  was  raging 
like  the  burning  of  Moscow.  The  scream  of  the  steam  en- 
gines, the  cries  of  firemen,  the  roar  of  flames  and  the  thunder 
of  falling  blocks  combined,  was  truly  terrible.  Three  million 
dollars  worth  of  property  was  swept  to  ruins  in  three  hours. 

On  the  following-  evening  I  went  to  Wood's  Museum  (the 
most  creditable  public  institution  in  the  city  of  Chicago), 
where  I  witnessed  an  amusing  stage  exhibition  of  Chicago 
Life,  or  "Under  the  Gas  Lights."  Being  now  convinced  that 
I  had  seen  the  "Elephant,"  this  closed  my  list  of  secular  di- 
versions ;  and  accordingly  on  Sabbath  evening  I  went  to  the 
First  Baptist  Church,  and  heard  the  most  brilliant  sermon  of 
my  life,  delivered  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Everts  to  "The  Young 
Women  of  Chicago." 

In  conclusion,  let  me  say  that  even  in  this  leviathan  city  of 
the  West,  which  is  said  to  be  the  abode  of  10,000  prostitute 
women,  I  was  surprised  to  find  the  large  churches  more  fully 
attended  than  the  public  theatres,  and  the  magnificent  ave- 
nues of  the  city,  with .  their  marble  front  palaces  and  well- 
kept  lawns,  are  built  up  principally  by  men  whose  families 
move  in  the  walks  of  true  morality  and  Christian  example. 
Chicago  is  truly  a  giant  city,  and  every  commercial  throb  of 
its  vigorous  heart  is  felt  along  all  the  distant  thoroughfares  of 
the  Great  West. 


I  86  SKETCHES  OE  TRAVEL  AND  EARLY  HARDSHIPS. 

A  VISIT  TO  THE  PINE  FORESTS. 

St.  Cloud,  Minn.,  Feb.  28,  1868. 

I  have  just  returned  from  a  visit  to  the  cities  of  sleighs  and 
forests  of  pine,  which  adorn  the  Upper  j\Ii.ssissippi  river  and 
its  eastern  tributaries,  in  northern  Minnesota  and  Wisconsin. 
The  cities  up  here  are  cold  and  frosty,  but  the  streets  are  filled 
Avitli  gay  and  warm-hearted  people,  who  drive  their  fast  horses 
with  dashing"  cutters  and  chimes  of  bells.  Indeed,  I  have  not 
seen  a  w^agon  or  carriage  in  the  streets  for  thirty  days,  and 
am  told  that  none  have  been  out  since  the  first  of  December. 
The  people  up  here  take  to  sleighs,  skates  and  snow  shoes 
as  naturally  as  young  ducks  take  to  water.  The  side  hills  are 
alive  \Aith  little  bo3^s  and  girls,  with  their  fancy  hand  sleig'hs, 
singing  and  laughing  up  the  steep  ascents,  and  rushing  down 
again  the  slippery  hillsides  in  dashing  fleets  of  little  sleds  and 
happy  children;  while  the  young  ladies,  blooming  with 
health,  are  out  on  the  river  parks,  mounted  upon  their  glisten- 
ing skates,  and  skimming  over  the  glassy  ice  like  nimble 
fawns,  and  the  young  men  are  daily  trying  the  blood  of 
their  foaming  steeds  along  the  race  course  prepared  expressly 
for  the  winter  amusements.  The  frightful  speed  and  head- 
long driving'  exhibited  here  some  days  is  truly  astonishing. 
The  more  numerous  class  of  people,  however,  pursue  their 
delightful  ride  along  the  smooth  streets  of  the  cities,  and  out 
to  the  neighboring  villas.  In  fact  there  is  all  wnnter  one  con- 
tinued jingle  of  musical  bells  from  early  morning  till  late  at 
night,  on  all  the  main  streets  of  St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis. 

Taking  this  opportunity  for  a  comfortable  winter  ride,  and 
desiring  to  visit  the  great  lumber  regions  of  the  north,  I 
wrapped  myself  in  a  sleigh,  and  set  out  for  the  pine  woods 
lying  on  the  upper  waters  of  the  Alississippi,  Rum  river  and 
the  St.  Croix. 

One  day's  drive  from  St.  Cloud  brought  me  to  the  dark 
moaning  forests  of  pine  on  the  waters  of  Rum  river.  This  was 
the  first  pine  forest  I  ever  saw,  and  it  struck  me  as  more  grand 
and  majestic  than  the  first  glance  at  the  blue  expanse  of  the 


SKETCHES  OF  TRAVEL  AND  EARLY  HARDSHIPS.  \^7 

ocean.  Although  the  snow  was  deep,  the  air  keen  and  frosty 
and  the  woods  truly  dismal,  I  found  the  forest  full  of  lumber- 
men felling  the  towering  and  moaning  pines  and  letting  into 
the  dark  forest  avenues  of  daylight.  These  forests  are  rep- 
resented'to  be  inexhaustible  in  extent  and  quantity,  stretch- 
ing away  northeasterly  toward  T^ake  Superior  and  north- 
westerly across  the  Mississippi,  far  away  toward  the  re- 
gions of  Hudson's  Bay.  It  is  estimated  that  this  great  pine 
district  of  the  north  covers  over  200,000  square  miles,  or 
about  three  times  the  area  of  pine  represented  1)y  Dr.  Ilayden 
as  existing  in  the  Black  Hills  of  Dakota,  but  now  in  posses- 
sion of  the  Indians.  zA.nd  yet  this  northern  district  is  called 
the  largest  pine  region  in  America,  and  it  is  claimed  that  lum- 
ber enough  can  be  cut  from  these  forests  to  supply  with  fenc- 
ing and  Imilding  material  all  the  great  ])lains  east  of  the  Mis- 
souri river.  The  northern  pineries  already  furnish  employ- 
ment each  winter  to  over  t,ooo  lumbermen,  who  fell  the  for- 
ests, saw  the  logs,  and  haul  them  to  the  banks  of  streams  for 
rafting  in  the  spring.  Many  of  these  streams  are  nothing  but 
small  creeks,  not  even  so  large  as  those  which  drain  the  Black 
Hills  of  our  own  territor3^  and  yet  along  these  little  water 
courses  millions  of  logs  are  "run"  down  one  at  a  time,  each 
year,  by  a  process  which  is  called  the  "drive,"  and  is  prac- 
ticed 'during  high  water  in  the  spring,  when  the  melting; 
snows  and  rains  fill  the  little  streams  with  sufficient  w'ater  to 
float  a  log,  though  in  many  instances  it  is  necessary  to  dam  the 
streams  for  miles  to  accumulate  the  waters,  before  they  reach 
raftable  channels.  Lower  down  on  these  streams  the  "drive" 
is  abandoned,  and  the  logs  formed  into  rafts,  and  piloted^ 
down,  and  "boomed"  near  the  large  lumbering  mills,  on  the 
larger  navigable  waters.  Two  hundred  and  seventy-five  mil- 
lion feet  of  lumber  was  manufactured  from  the  pine  forests 
of  Minnesota  last  year.  The  lumber  mills,  driven  by  the  wa- 
ter power  at  St.  Anthony  and  Minneapolis,  are  capable  of 
cutting  over  one  million  feet  per  day,  and  the  flouring  mills, 
driven  by  the  same  power,  are  able  to  turn  out  4,000  barrels 


155  SKETCHES  OF  TRAVEL  AND  EARLY  HARDSHIPS. 

of  flour  in  the  same  time.  Good  pine  lumber  is  sold  at  the 
Minneapolis  mills  for  sixteen  dollars  per  thousand  feet,  and 
the  railroads  are  delivering  it  throughout  the  state  for  about 
ten  cents  per  thousand,  for  each  mile  transported.  Tt  is  less 
than  300  miles  from  Minneapolis  to  Yankton.  Hence  it  will 
be  seen  that  with  rail  conununication  between  Yankton  and 
the  Upper  Mississippi  (which  is  inevitable)  the  prairies  of 
southern  Minnesota  and  northern  Nebraska  can  be  covered 
with  the  finest  quality  of  pine  timber  at  forty-five  dollars  per 
thousand. 

The  Minnesota  Valley  Railroad  is  pushing  steadily  to- 
ward the  southwest  section  of  the  state  with  the  purpose  of 
striking  the  steamboat  trade  of  the  Missouri  river  at  the 
nearest  possible  distance.  From  what  I  have  seen  of  the 
lumbering  trade  in  this  northern  region  T  am  perfectlv  satis- 
fied that  the  pine  forests  of  the  Black  Hills  can  be  floated 
down  the  waters  of  the  Cheyenne  to  the  Missouri  with  the 
utmost  success  and  profit. 

A  powerful  influence  has  been  brought  to  bear  against  the 
policy  of  including  the  Black  Hills  country  with  the  Indian 
reserve,  as  recommended  to  congress  by  the  peace  commis- 
sioners. A  letter  received  to-day  from  our  delegate  in  con- 
gress says  the  measure  will  be  defeated.  The  Chicago  & 
Union  Pacific  Railroad  interests  are  throwing  their  influence 
against  this  damaging  project  to  western  immigration  and 
settlement.  The  Upper  Missouri  valley  is  now  looked  upon 
by  Eastern  people  as  the  most  inviting  and  accessible  field  for 
immigration  to  be  found  in  the  West. 


A  JOURNEY  FROM  YANKTON  TO  ST.  PAUL. 

Taking  the  stage  at  Yankton  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing of  the  14th  inst.,  nine  of  us  rode  very  sociably  together, 
on  three  seats,  sixty-five  miles  to  Sioux  City.  The  three  lady 
passengers  considered  the  company  worse  than  "close  com- 


SKETCHES  OF  TRAVEL  AND  EARLY  HARDSHIPS.  I  "^'J 

miinionists,"  while  Orton  could  not  find  room  for  his  plug 
hat  and  dog.  Propper  stuck  his  fashionable  cane  in  the  top 
of  his  boot,  and  Hanson  smoked  three  long  cigars  through 
the  cracks  of  the  curtains.  I  alone  contested  my  seat,  and 
one  of  the  ladies  said  that  if  I  could  squeeze  into  so  small  a 
seat  in  congress  as  in  the  stage,  she  thanked  her  stars  that 
no  man  had  the  cheek  to  contest  me  but  Burleigh.  However, 
four  noble  horses,  good  drivers  and  excellent  roads  took  us 
to  Sioux  City  before  nightfall.  We  were  soon  made  com- 
fortable under  the  hospitable  roof  of  the  largest  (but  rather 
poorly  furnished)  hotel  in  the  city,  the  St.  Elmo.  One  of  our 
party  who  had  business  in  the  city  was  unable  to  get  his  sup- 
per after  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  very  naturally  went 
to  bed  hungry,  and  angry. 

Leaving  by  the  Dubuque  train  at  seven  o'clock  next  morn- 
ing, we  flew  away  up  the  beautiful  valley  of  the  Floyd  north- 
ward to  Le  Mars,  twenty-five  miles.  Here  the  road  makes 
a  great  detour  to  the  eastward,  and  from  Le  Mars  to  Yank- 
ton the  distance  by  stage  is  about  sixty  miles.  The  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  Company,  who  have  leased  the  Dubuque 
road,  are  considering  the  importance  of  putting  on  a  daily 
line  of  four-horse  coaches  between  Le  Mars  and  Yankton,  so 
as  to  secure  the  Dakota  travel  eastward.  From  this  point  we 
speed  over  the  vmdulating,  boundless  and  treeless  prairies. 
dining  at  Newell,  and  arriving  at  Waterloo  at  ten  o'clock  in 
the  evening.  Here  my  companions  took  sleeping  cars  for  Chi- 
cago, while  I  waited  three  hours,  and  then  took  a  northern 
train  up  the  Cedar  valley,  and  breakfasted  at  Mona,  near  the 
state  line.  Remaining  here  till  noon,  I  took  the  Milwaukee  & 
St.  Paul  train  for  Minnesota,  running  up  through  a  snow 
storm  to  Ramsey  Junction.  I  was  now  in  a  country  where 
fourteen  years  ago  I  served  as  county  surveyor,  antl  was  ac- 
customed to  travel  on  foot  and  horseback,  with  compass  and 
chain,  to  survey  out  the  early  county  roads  and  town  sites ; 
and  where,  in  that  early  day,  men  often  were  frozen  to  death 
in  crossing  the  bleak,  snowy  prairie.     T  had  ridden  but  a  few 


IQO  SKETCHES  OE  TRAVEL  AND  EARLY  HARDSHIPS. 

miles  over  this  iron  rail  before  we  passed  a  long  train  of  cars 
drawn  by  a  magnificent  engine  bearing  my  brother's  name. 
"Aug.  Armstrong,"  one  of  the  directors  of  the  road.  I  now 
felt  that  I  was  nearing  my  old  associates,  and  the  whole  scene 
appeared  to  me  like  the  dream  of  "Rip  Van  \\'inkle."  Thir- 
teen years  ago  I  had  tra\eled  with  this  same  brother,  over 
this  then  lonely  prairie,  behind  a  slow  and  poor  horse,  carry- 
ing with  us  our  cold  dinners  and  slim  purses,  and  looking  for 
homes  in  the  West.  Under  the  spell  of  these  dream-like  real- 
ities T  flew  forward  to  Grand  Meadow  Station.  Here  I  met 
another  brother,  T.  H.  Armstrong,  waiting  with  his  prancing 
steed  and  lovely  cutter  to  take  me  to  his  home  at  High  For- 
est, ten  miles  distant.  Wrapped  in  generous  furs  and  cheered 
by  the  chime  of  musical  bells,  we  flew  like  a  snow  flake  over 
plain  and  through  groves,  talking  of  the  early  days  of  Min- 
nesota, when,  in  1856,  we  entered  that  wild  territory  with  an 
ox  team  and  built  a  little  of^ce  in  the  woods,  sixty  miles  west 
of  the  Mississippi.  Next  day,  returning  by  train,  I  spent  the 
Sabbath  with  brother  Augustus,  at  the  beautiful  town  of  Al- 
bert Lea,  the  Madison  of  Minnesota,  surrounded  by  lake, 
grove  and  lawn.  From  here  I  passed  up  to  this  city  (St. 
Paul),  where  the  legislature  is  now  in  session,  and  where  are 
assembled  all  the  leading  railroad  men  in  the  state  and  many 
heavy  lobbyists  from  the  East.  All  the  Minnesota  railroad 
companies  having-  lines  running  east  are  anxious  to  extend 
their  roads  through  Dakota  to  the  Missouri  river.  lUit  these 
same  companies  have  but  little  hopes  of  aid  from  congress. 
It  is  sadly  to  be  regretted  that  something  was  not  secured 
for  Dakota  in  this  way  years  ago,  when  Iowa  and  JMinnesota 
were  getting  their  grants  of  land.  In  1866  three  land  grants 
were  given  to  Minnesota  Territory,  on  our  eastern  boundary, 
which  could  at  that  time  have  been  extended  to  the  Missouri 
river  by  simply  asking  for  it.  The  fever  of  railroad  building 
is  now  upon  the  people,  and  unless  something  is  secured  soon 
railroads  will  move  slow  throut'h  Dakota. 


SKRTCHES   Ol^  TRAVETv  AND    KARLY  TTARDSTTTPS.  I  91 

UP  THE  MISSISSIPPI  AND  OVER  LAKE  SUPERIOR. 

DuLUTH,  Minn..  July  19,  1871. 

Leaving  Yankton  on  the  morning  of  the  14th  inst.,  I  rode 
sixty  miles  by  stage  over  an  admirable  route,  to  the  new  rail- 
road town  of  Le  Mars.  Everywhere  along  the  route  the 
farmers"  crops  promise  an  abundant  harvest,  and  the  yellow 
fields  of  wheat  and  oats,  which  stretch  away  for  miles  on 
either  hand  were  already  inviting  the  blade  of  the  sickle  and 
reaper.  At  Le  Mars,  the  traveler  is  hospitably  received  and 
made  comfortable  at  the  large  Depot  Hotel.  Taking  the 
seven  o'clock  train  in  the  morning,  we  darted  away  like  an 
arrow  across  the  beautiful  prairies  of  northern  Iowa.  Pass- 
ing beyond  Fort  Dodge  and  its  inexhaustible  coalfields,  we 
entered  the  great  grain  district  of  the  state.  The  golden  har- 
vests seemed  literally  to  cover  the  prairie  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach  to  the  right  and  left.  Men,  w'omen  and  children 
were  in  the  harvest  field.  For  over  a  hundred  miles  our  train 
seemed  to  run  through  one  continuous  field  of  grain. 

Reaching  Dubuque  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening,  I  took 
the  steamer  Andy  Johnson  for  St.  Paul.  The  noble  craft 
struck  out,  and  all  night,  through  clouds  and  gloom,  she 
stemmed  the  dark  river  with  unerring  helm  and  rapid  speed. 
I  was  lucky  enough  to  fall  in  with  three  jolly  English  students 
from  Liverpool,  as  traveling  companions,  who  were  making 
a  college  vacation  tour  of  four  , weeks  in  America.  I  Kvas 
surprised  to  learn  from  them  that  their  first-class  passage  tick- 
ets by  ocean  steamer  from  Liverpool  to  New  York  were  only 
seventy-five  dollars  each  in  gold,  and  that  they  had  been  only 
twelve  days  on  their  journey  from  England  to  the  Mississippi 
river.  Many  were  the  questions  they  put  to  me  about  Amer- 
ican government  of  states,  counties,  territories,  etc.,  and  of 
the  society,  classes  and  customs  of  our  people ;  and  particu- 
larly the  wild  life  of  our  Western  Indians.  They  said  that  we 
Americans  are  always  in  a  hurry,  and  eat  our  meals  as  though 
a  house  were  on  fire.  They  would  sit  sideways  to  the  table, 
cross  their  legs  and  spend  an  hour  at  dinner,  and  onmplain 


192  SKETCHES  OF  TRAVEL  AND  EARLY  HARDSHIPS. 

because  their  beef  had  not  been  killed  nine  days  before 
cooking.  They  were  highly  pleased  with  our  great  country, 
our  modes  of  travel,  miraculous  growth  and  enterprise,  and 
our  correct  and  extensive  commercial  svstem ;  but  they  pro- 
tested most  deploringh'-  against  the  horribly  mixed  condition 
of  American  society,  and  claimed  that  we  would  yet  find  that 
true  refinement  could  only  be  fostered  and  maintained  by 
classifying  the  people  into  their  appropriate  grades,  and  abol- 
ishing all  miscellaneous  social  gatherings.  Thus  we  plowed 
along  up  the  Father  of  Rivers,  through  all  the  next  day  and 
into  the  second  night,  occasionally  attracted  by  a  'passing 
down  river  steamer,  the  immense  floating  rafts  of  lumber,  or 
the  distant  lights  that  flickered  like  fire-flies  from  the  numer- 
ous towns  on  the  dark  river  shore.  Arriving  at  the  city  of 
La  Crosse,  we  met  the  steamer  A'lilwaukee  towing  to  market 
five  barges,  loaded  with  nearly  20,000  bushels  of  Minnesota 
wheat.  Fourteen  years  ago  I  crossed  the  ^Mississippi  on  the 
ice  at  this  place,  and  plunged  into  the  interior  wilds  of  Min- 
nesota Territory  to  survey  lands  for' its  first  settlers.  At  that 
time  there  was  not  a  railroad  west  of  the  Mississippi  north  of 
Rock  Island.  Now  there  are  over  i.ooo  miles  of  running 
road  in  Minnesota  alone,  while  the  state  yields  sixteen  mil- 
lion bushels  of  wheat  annually,  and  contains  nearly  half  a 
million  people.  A  new  road  of  great  importance  is  being 
graded  along  the  west  river  shore  under  the  blufif  from  Du- 
buque to  St.  Paul,  at  a  cost  of  $35,000  per  mile.  Leaving 
the  Mississippi  and  my  companions.  I  changed  steamers,  and 
passed  up  through  the  beautiful  lake  St.  Croix  to  Stillwater, 
the  town  of  mills,  logs,  lumber  and  state  prisons.  An  excur- 
sion party  consisting  of  wives  and  children  of  "St.  Paul  mer- 
chants, made  the  evening  lake  ride  of  twenty-five  miles  a  de- 
lightful pastime.  They  were  destined  for  White  Bear  lake, 
a  noted  Minnesota  watering  place.  Arriving  at  this  pleasant 
summer  resort,  I  was  detained  three  hours,  until  the  St.  Paul 
&  Duluth  train  came  in,  and  during  this  interval  I  was  po- 
litely tendered,  and  cheerfully  accepted,  a  ride  over  to  the 


GENERAL  SlJil.ICVS  .\K.\n-   I  X    ||i|.;    dakciTa   IXDIAX   WAR.     p.   ,45. 


SKKTCITKS   OK  TRAVKI.  AND   IvARLY  HARDSHIPS.  193 

''South  Shore  House."  Here  I  found  many  of  the  most  re- 
fined and  wealthy  ladies  of  Eastern  cities,  whiling  away  the 
hot  summer  months,  dressed  in  plain  calico  and  brown  linen  : 
some  rambling-  through  the  green  groves  and  breathing  fresh 
air;  others  out  upon  the  beautiful  lake,  rowing  their  own 
boats,  bailing  their  own  hooks,  and  catching  their  own  fish. 
Little  children  were  seen  everywhere,  swinging  in  the  trees 
and  bathing  like  swallows  in  the  limpid  waters.  Four  ladies 
rowed  me  back  over  the  lake  to  the  depot. 

Reluctantly  leaving  this  little  paradise,  I  took  the  ten 
o'clock  train  for  Duluth,  which  flew  away  like  a  rocket 
through  150  miles  of  poplar  groves,  tamarack  swamps,  and 
pine  forests,  to  the  "great  city  at  the  sea" — Duluth.  No  set- 
tlements are  to  be  seen  along  the  road,  except  at  the  railroad 
stations.  The  famous  dalles  of  the  St.  Louis  river  exceed  in 
wild  romantic  scenery  anything  I  ever  saw  upon  a  line  of 
railroad.  The  river,  black  as  ink,  tears  its  dark  and  crazy 
path  with  headlong  fury  down  through  a  world  of  rocks  and 
shaggy  cliffs,  with  a  fall  of  eighty  feet  to  the  mile ;  while  the 
railroad  train  is  carried  over  frightful  gorges  several  hundred 
feed  deep  by  skeleton  bridges,  which  look  like  "Death  on 
stilts."  At  the  head  of  the  falls,  or  dalles,  tv\renty-three  miles 
from  Duluth,  is  the  junction  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad, 
which  is  already  completed  about  150  miles  westward  through 
the  WMld  swamps  and  woods  of  northern  Minnesota.  Whole 
acres  of  railroad  iron,  are  piled  up  ten  feet  high  at  the  junction, 
the  company  being  unable  to  push  it  westward  by  construc- 
tion trains  on  account  of  the  sinking  of  the  track  in  some  of 
the  marshes  through  which  the  road  was  constructed  last  win- 
ter. The  road  is  now  being  ballasted  so  as  to  admit  of  the  pass- 
age of  heavy  trains.  Tearing  on  down  the  St.  Louis  river, 
we  enter  a  great  lowland  basin,  opening  upon  the  rising  city 
of  Duluth,  and  blue  Lake  Superior.  By  six  o'clock,  we  were 
landed  upon  the  steps  of  the  Clark  House,  in  the  "center  of 
the    world,"  where,  according    to    Knott's    speech,  the    sky 

13 


194  SKETCHES  OF  TRAVETv  AND  EARLY  HARDSHIPS. 

comes  down  to  the  ground  at  an  equal  distance  all  round  the 
city. 

I  found  the  magnificent  hotel  crowded  with  a  large  party 
of  Minnesota  wheat  merchants,  who  had  come  up  to  Duluth 
with  their  wives  and  daughters,  to  ride  upon  the  blue  waves 
of  Lake  Superior,  and  to  examine  the  city  as  a  feasible  point 
for  shipping  their  grain  to  Eastern  markets.  The  grain  deal- 
ers of  Minnesota  are  certainly  a  jolly  set  of  men.  They  are 
blessed  with  the  happiest  wives,  the  handsomest  daughters, 
and  the  largest  crops  of  any  state  in  the  Union.  Many  of 
them  were  exchanging  their  new  wheat  in  the  sack  for  old  rye 
in  the  bottle.  .  The  ladies  at  dinner  called  for  trout  and  huck- 
leberries, and  the  tables  were  so  crowded  with  excursionists 
that  I  was  obliged  to  throw  a  biscuit  at  a  waiter  girl  to  induce 
her  to  bring  me  a  cup  of  coffee.  A  wheat  buyer  told  me  it 
was  a  waste  of  grain  to  throw  bread  at  a  Duluth  girl.  I  went 
out  into  the  street  and  found  an  old  acquaintance.  Dr.  Foster, 
editor  of  the  Duluth  Minnesotian.  He  was  standing  in  the 
middle  of  Superior  avenue,  with  one  eye  cocked  out  over 
Lake  Superior,  and  the  other  shot  up  the  line  of  the  North- 
ern Pacific  Railroad.  The  doctor  is  one  of  the  oldest  editors 
in  Minnesota — has  labored  hard  for  the  prosperity  of  the 
state — is  now  rich,  virtuous  and  happy.  He  drives  a  vigor- 
ous quill  and  edits  a  spunky  newspaper;  he  drinks  ale  and 
soda  water,  and  says  he  intend^  to  live  long  enough  to  see 
Duluth  one  of  the  largest  cities  in  the  Northwest.  He  showed 
me  all  the  churches  and  saloons  in  the  place — wheat  eleva- 
tors, steamboats,  vessels,  lake  wharves  and  warehouses,  and 
finally  took  me  down  to  the  beach  and  introduced  me  to  Lake 
Superior.  I  baptized  my  head  in  the  waves  and  backed  out, 
while  the  doctor  was  counting  the  fleets  of  ships  on  the  dis- 
tant waters.  "Yes,"  said  he,  "we  have  water  enough  in 
yonder  lake  to  put  the  fires  of  hell  out .  rocks  enough  in  yon- 
der hills  to  wall  the  world  in ;  iron  enough  to  build  a  railroad 
to  the  moon,  and  telegraph  poles  enough  to  run  a  fast  line 
to  the  day  of  judgment  and  back  again,  to  say  nothing  of  our 


SKETCHES  OF  TRAVEL  AND  KARLY  HARDSHIPS.  195 

beds  of  copper,  quarries  of  slate,  and  forests  of  pine."     "  'Tis 
well,"  said  I ;  "Good  night,"  said  he. 


New  York  City,  Aug.  2,  1871. 
As  contemplated  in  my  last  letter,  I  next  morning  took 
the  steamer  Pacific  over  the  blue  billows  of  Lake  Superior 
for  Marquette.  All  day  and  night  the  noble  craft  plowed 
through  the  vast  expanse  with  no  apparent  landmark  in  view 
but  the  distant  heavens  stooping  down  upon  the  waste  of 
waters.  If  there  is  anything  in  this  world  that  reminds  a 
person  of  the  existence  of  a  God  and  eternity,  it  is  to  float 
beneath  a  clear  sky  over  a  seemingly  boundless  world  of 
waves,  rolling  forward  into  illimitable  space.  Occasionally 
a  distant  white  cloud  will  rise  up  from  the  deep  and  float  like 
a  great  ship  through  the  upper  ethereal  blue,  and  again  a 
long  low  line  of  smoke  streaking  the  far  horizon  indicates  the 
approach  of  a  magnificent  steamer,  freighted  with  human 
souls,  while  in  another  direction  a  fleet  of  sail  ships  is  just 
descried  emerging  from  the  skies,  and  playing,  like  ghosts, 
upon  the  waters.  But  a  journey  upon  the  great  waters  soon 
becomes  dull  and  monotonous,  and  the  passengers  of  thfe 
Pacific  gradually  retired  from  sight-seeing  upon  the  upper 
decks  to  the  pleasant  and  luxurious  cabins,  where  the  time 
was  passed  with  music,  dance  and  song,  card  playing,  chess 
and  checkers,  promenading,  chatting  and  lounging.  Chil- 
dren ran  laughing  and  romping  up  and  down  the  cabin,  while 
the  steady  stroke  of  the  fiery  engine  below  drove  the  levia- 
than ship  onward  to  the  highlands  of  Marquette.  The  green 
overhanging  hills  were  imprinted  in  the  deep,  clear  waters, 
as  plainly  as  though  touched  by  the  pencil  of  a  painter.  Here 
at  Marquette,  amid  the  infernal  scream  of  engines  and  iron 
mills,  and  the  rattle  of  ore-trains  running  out  over  the  tops 
of  ships  into  the  lake,  is  where  a  swearing  captain  was  once 
storm-driven  with  his  vessel  in  the  night,  and  looking  up  at 
the  fiery  iron  trains,  he  exclaimed :    "A  harbor  in  hell !" 


196  SKETCHES  OF  TRAVElv  AND  EARLY  HARDSHIPS. 

I  pulled  anchor,  finding"  this  water  travel  rather  slow  and 
changeless,  at  Marquette,  and  took  the  cars  for  Milwaukee. 
Arriving-  at  the  Planking-ton  House.  I  met  Hon.  W.  A.  Bur- 
leigh, who  was  working  in  the  interest  of  Dakota  railroad 
matters.  The  doctor  w^as  going  to  Chicago  that  evening, 
and  the  boat  was  to  leave  in  five  minutes.  The  wharf  was 
one-half  mile  distant,  and  the  hacks  and  'busses  had  left.  The 
doctor  was  determined  to  be  "on  time,"  so  he  hurriedly  char- 
tered the  nearest  butcher  wagon,  and  into  it  we  tumbled,  and 
down  the  street  the  driver  lashed  his  spavined  horse,  as  though 
the  sheriff  w^as  after  us.  I  sat  in  the  bottom  of  the  wagon, 
and  the  doctor  astride  of  a  meat  block.  We  reached  the  boat 
and  walked  the  ])lank,  just  as  she  was  pushing  out.  The 
doctor  engaged  sleeping  berths  for  Chicago.  The  berths 
were  too  short  for  the  doctor,  and  over  the  nois\'  wheelhouse : 
but  he  went  to  bed  early,  and  slept  soundly,  with  his  feet  out 
the  state-room  window,  his  head  upon  his  pocketbook,  and 
his  virtue  in  his  bosom.  At  four  o'clock  we  were  awakened 
from  our  bunks  to  enter  Chicago.  I  never  before  saw  a  great 
city  asleep.  Not  a  policeman,  hackman  or  human  being  did 
we  meet  in  walking  up  several  blocks  through  the  principal 
streets  of  Chicago.  Wharf  rats  were  playing  upon  the  side- 
walks and  picking  crumbs  dropped  the  day  previous  by  the 
thronging  multitude  in  front  of  the  stone  front  business 
houses,  now  silent  as  sepulchral  monuments.  Soon  a  dismal 
roar  and  rattle  were  heard  arising  from  all  parts  of  the  city. 
like  distant  thundc".  which  speedily  revealed  the  fact  that  a 
great  city  was  "waking  up."  Streams  of  hacks,  omnibuses, 
express  and  market  wagons,  loaded  street  cars  and  screaming 
newsboys  came  pouring  like  a  flood  unloosed  through  the 
avenues  of  the  city.  Doors  were  unbolted,  shutters  removed, 
walks  swept  and  sprinkled,  and  soon  the  "world  moved  on" 
in  its  daily  routine  business. 

Leaving  Chicago  in  the  evening  I  took  the  so-called  Lake 
Shore  route,  by  way  of  Detroit,  Buffalo,  Niagara,  Albany  and 
New  York,  to  Washington.     Crops  in  the  Eastern  and  Mid- 


SKE;TCHES  of  travel  and  KARLY  IIAKUSHII'S.  '97 

die  States  did  not  promise  an  abundant  harvest.  Corn  was 
short  and  thin,  and  wheat  and  oats  were  li^ht  and  scattering. 
Fruit  was  everywhere  abundant — peaches,  apples  and  pears 
hanging,  ripe  and  sweet,  from  many  a  roadside  orchard.  T 
had  not  seen  any  growing  fruit  before  for  sixteen  years,  and 
I  was  consequently  much  tempted  to  climb  Ihe  fences  and  fill 
my  pockets,  like  any  boy  or  politician  is  wont  to  do.  Arriv- 
ing at  the  beautiful  city  of  Detroit  in  the  morning,  we  tarried 
for  breakfast,  and  then  fiew  on  down  to  Toledo,  the  home  of 
Nasby;  and  still  forward  we  sped  like  a  gale  through  the 
dust  and  heat  and  fruit  orchards  of  Northern  Ohio  to  Cleve- 
and,  the  most  beautiful  city  in  the  state.  Euclid  avenue  is 
called  one  of  the  grandest  streets  in  the  United  States.  The 
city  contains  about  100.000  people,  and  is  the  center  of  a  very 
extensive  shipping  trade.  Still  speeding  eastward,  we  coasted 
the  southern  shore  of  lovely  Lake  Erie,  which  stretched 
away  from  the  car  window  like  a  green  landscape  until  lost 
in  the  distant  clouds  floating  along  the  horizon ;  and  fleets 
of  great  sail  vessels  were  flitting  like  spirit  wings  over  the 
far-off  waves. 

At  Erie,  Pa.,  ninety  miles  beyond,  a  place  of  20,000  in- 
habitants, is  found  the  finest  harbor  on  the  southern  shore, 
which  is  now  being  made  available  as  a  transfer  port  for  the 
iron  ore  vessels  from  Lake  Superior  and  the  coal  trains  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Central  Railroad  Co.  Commodore  Perry's 
old  flag-ship,  Lawrence,  is  sunken  in  this  bay,  and  is  an  ob- 
ject of  much  interest  to  travelers.  Gas  wells  are  also  in  suc- 
cessful operation  here,  whereby  citizens  light  and  heat  their 
own  houses,  and  run  mills  and  factories  by  gas  and  heat 
alone. 

Passing  onward  we  soon  enter  the  connnercial  city  ol 
Bufifalo,  with  its  120,000  people;  and  still  eastward  along  the 
shore  of  the  same  blue  Lake  Erie  we  are  hurried  forward  by 
the  rushing  train,  like  a  whirlwind,  until  we  stand  upon  the 
brink  of  the  thundering  torrent  of  Niagara.  This  great  flood 
of  plunging  foam  and  roaring    cataracts    holds    its    admirer 


19^  SKETCHES  OF  TRAVEL  AND  EARLY  HARDSHIPS. 

mute  and  spell-bound,  and  the  mind  is  carried  along-  down 
this  noisy  rushing  river  of  time  to  the  great  ocean  of  eternity. 

I  paid  twenty-five  cents  to  walk  over  the  suspension  bridge 
and  walk  back  again.  The  great  rocks  were  split  open  to 
let  the  mad  river  pass,  as  though  the  hand  of  the  Almighty 
had  torn  the  earth  asunder. 

Leaving  this  thundering  torrent  of  flood  and  foam,  I  took 
the  New  York  Central  Railroad  for  Albany,  and  thence  down 
the  Hudson,  by  steamer,  to  New  York  City.  Among  the 
wealthy  interior  cities  of  the  Empire  State,  we  passed  the  city 
of  Rochester,  with  its  60,000  inhabitants,  and  the  wealthy  com- 
mercial center  of  Syracuse,  containing  over  40,000  people, 
and  its  immense  and  celebrated  manufactories  of  salt.  At 
Albany  I  remained  over  night  for  the  day  line  of  steamers. 
The  main  streets  of  Albany  are  broad,  clean,  airy  and  pleas- 
ant. The  place  contains  nearly  70,000  people,  and  is  the  seat 
of  much  commercial  wealth.  The  public  buildings  are  any- 
thing but  a  credit  to  the  state.  Down  the  beautiful  Hudson, 
upon  a  fast  steamer,  with  a  pleasure  party  of  nearly  six  hun- 
dred, is  truly  a  delightful  summer  voyage.  An  Italian  band 
discoursed  most  enchanting  music,  and  the  groups  of  merry 
children  laughed  with  song,  great  steamers  shot  past  us  like 
air  palaces,  while  the  lovely  and  bewitching  homes  which  en- 
vironed the  shores  were  constantly  seen  like  a  floating  pano- 
rama of  the  scenes  in  Milton's  "Paradise  Regained." 

Passing  West  Point,  Sing  Sing,  Catskill,  Cornwall  Land- 
ing, and  many  other  points  of  interest,  I  arrived  at  New 
York  City  in  the  evening,  and  witnessed,  for  the  first  time, 
with  amazement,  this  great  metropolis  of  America — the  home 
of  a  million  people.  T  put  up  at  the  HofTman  House,  and 
found  everything  as  upon  the  Hudson  river  steamer,  done  in 
"European  plan."  The  hotel  clerk  charges  for  and  gives  you 
nothing  but  a  place  to  bathe  and  sleep,  while  in  an  adjacent 
and  magnificent  restaurant  the  traveler  can  get  what  he  wants 
to  eat,  and  pays  at  the  table  for  what  he  gets.  I  ordered  a 
cup  of  coffee,  steak,  eggs  and  potatoes,  and  paid  $1.90  for 


SKETCHES  OF  TRAVEI.  AND  EARLY  HARDSHIPS.  199 

my  extravagant  supper.  The  waiter  politely  handed  me  my 
bill  upon  a  card  resting-  upon  a  silver  plate.  I  bowed,  took 
my  hat  from  under  the  table,  and  left,  thinking-  of  New  York 
riots  and  explosions.  The  streets  of  the  city  are  so  narrow 
that  long-tailed  horses  drawing  the  street  cars  can  almost 
switch  the  flies  from  the  windows.  People  eat  their  dinners 
in  restaurant  windows,  and  skulking  newsboys  steal  their 
cofifee  from  the  inviting  tables.  I  took  a  hack  and  "went 
through"  the  city;  visited  Castle  Garden,  Central  Park,  the 
"Westfield  Disaster"  dock,  and  to  Greenwood  cemetery.  At 
the  latter  place  I  was  bewildered  at  the  beautiful  abodes  of 
the  dead.  Walking  pensively  along  the  smooth  avenues, 
among  the  darkening-  overgreens.  lovely  flowers,  and  monu- 
ments of  eternal  white.  T  found  myself  mourning  the  confes- 
sion of  the  psalmist :  "T  would  not  live  alway,"  but  would 
here  feign  rest  from  earth's  toils  in  this  beautiful  and  per- 
renial  home  of  the  dead.  I  next  rode  over  across  the  thronged 
and  noisy  ferry,  and  mingled  in  the  rush  and  tumult  of  the 
living. 

Long-  lines  of  teams  were  struggling  to  get  on  and  off, 
goaded  and  cursed  by  loud  swearing,  fighting  drivers.  I 
elbowed  my  way  through  the  crowd,  and  came  out  by  only 
having  two  fists  shaken  in  my  face,  and  being  called  a  thief 
and  a  damned  Tammany  politician.  I  got  out,  and  rode  over 
to  Central  park,  M^hich  is  truly  a  pride  to  every  American 
citizen.  While  driving  gracefully  around  the  curving  pave- 
ments, among  mossy  rocks,  evergreens,  lawns  and  lakes,  en- 
livened by  grazing  deer,  white  swan,  charming  sail  boats,  and 
elegant  carriages,  I  felt  constrained  to  change  the  words. of 
the  psalmist  and  say :     "I  would  here  live  alway." 


Fargo,  Dakota,  Aug.  31,  1874. 
Seven  years  ago  the  present  month,  I  made  my  first  trip 
to  the  Red  River  of  the  North,  and  was  twenty-one  days  in 


200  SKETCHES   OF  TRAVEL  AND   EARLY   HARDSHIPS. 

reachinof  Fort  Abercrombie  from  Yankton,  bv  team.  Then 
there  was  not  a  house  or  a  settler  to  be  found  on  the  Dakota 
side  of  the  Red  river,  from  that  miHtary  fort  to  Pembina,  near 
the  British  boundary,  a  distance  of  near  two  hund-red  miles. 
.\t  that  time,  also,  there  were  no  settlements  on  the  Missouri 
river  in  Northern  Dakota,  except  a  small  military  post  and 
a  few  Indian  villages.  I  was  then  engaged  in  extending  and 
establishing  the  first  lines  for  the  government  survey  of  lands 
in  this  rich  and  beautiful  valley,  which  had  recently  been  pur- 
chased by  the  United  States,  from  the  Chippewa  and  Red 
Lake  Indians. 

We  encountered  untold  hardships  and  sufferings  upon  the 
wild  plains  at  that  time,  and  met  with  no  human  habitations 
until  we  reached  the  Pembina  river,  near  British  America, 
on  which  stream  we  found  the  old  and  long-established  half- 
breed  settlement,  which  had  been  there  since  1823,  at  which 
time  Lord  Selkirk  erroneously  located  one  of  his  British 
colonies  on  American  soil.  This  is  the  settlement  which  was 
always  good  for  1.500  Democratic  votes  in  the  early  days  of 
Joe  Rolette  and  Minnesota  Territory.  Two  years  ago  I 
made  a  second  trip  to  this  northern  part  of  Dakota.  but*on 
different  business.  I  had  been  nominated  for  congress,  and 
T  was  therefore  looking  for  votes  instead  of  lines  and  cor- 
ners, and  I  very  naturally  went  over  the  ground  again  thor- 
oughly, and  had  a  good  opportunity  to  note  the  progress  and 
improvement  made  in  the  interval  of  five  years.  At  the  time 
of  this  second  visit  I  found  that  settlements  had  crept  into  the 
valleys,  and  that  a  telegraph  and  stage  line  were  in  operation 
for  two  hundred,  miles  along  the  Red  river,  also,  that  steam- 
boats were  successfully  navigating  the  same  stream,  and  that 
the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  had  pushed  its  iron  track  half 
wav  to  the  Missouri  river,  and  was  plunging  forward  at  the 
rate  of  three  miles  of  iron  rail  per  day.  T  then  made  the  trip  to 
Pembina  and  return  in  commodious  four-horse  coaches,  and 
crossed  over  to  James  river  100  miles  on  the  construction 
train  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad,  and  from  there  rode 


SKivTClIES  Ol"  TRAVKT.  AND  KARLY  HARDSHIPS.  -OI 

and  swore  behind  a  mule  team  for  three  days,  before  reaching 
Bismarck,  then  known  as  Edwinton. 

The  Northern  Pacific  Raih'oad  is  now  completed  and 
regular  trains  running"  thereon  from  Fargo  on  the  Red  river 
to  Bismarck  on  the  Missouri,  a  distance  of  194  miles.  Un- 
der the  close  and  judicious  supervision  of  General  Manager 
Mead  and  his  faithful  corps  of  subordinates  along  the  whole 
line  from  Duluth  to  Bismarck,  the  road  has  been  safely 
brought  out  of  the  chaos  temporarily  thrown  upon  it  by  the 
Jay  Cooke  failure,  and  is  now  doing  a  creditable  business 
above  expenses,  in  the  way  of  freight  and  passenger  traffic. 
Conductor  Beaty  informed  me  that  Manager  Mead  had  so 
systematized  his  working  forces  and  curtailed  the  hitherto 
enormous  expenses  of  the  company  that  the  entire  cost  of 
operating  the  road  during  the  present  season  has  only 
reached  about  $7,500  per  month,  while  their  receipts  have  so 
far  exceeded  this  amount  that  it  is  anticipated  that  the  com- 
pany will  this  season  be  able  to  pay  $  too. 000  interest  on  the 
North  Pacific  bonds.  Long  trains  of  heavy  freights  for  Mon- 
tana pass  to  the  end  of  the  road  at  Bismarck,  but  the  enor- 
mous shipments  destined  for  the  Hudson  Bay  country  are 
the  greatest  sources  of  revenue  to  the  railroad.  Five  steam- 
boats have  been  engaged  during  the  season  in  transporting 
these  goods  from  the  cars  at  Fargo  down  Red  river  to  the 
Province  of  Manitoba,  a  distance  of  300  miles  bv  water  and 
al)Out  200  by  land. 

During  the  past  few  years  the  freight  and  ]:»assenger 
traffic  on  Red  river  has  so  rapidly  increased  that  shipbuild- 
ing on  the  banks  of  that  stream  is  becoming  an  important 
branch  of  industry,  giving  employment  to  many  mechanics 
and  lumbermen  in  the  winter  season.  At  Grand  Forks  large 
mills  have  been  erected  and  boat  docks  constructed,  and  at 
this  place  steamers,  barges  and  flat  boats  are  built  for  the 
summer  trade.  The  large  forests  of  heavy  oak  timber  found 
there  afford  excellent  material  for  sh  pbuilding.  The  Red 
river  durins:   the  boating  season  is  also   crowded  with  rafts 


202  SKETCHES  OF  TRAVEL  AND  EARLY  HARDSHIPS. 

of  pine  lumber  which  come  down  from  the  Minnesota  forests 
through  the  Otter  Tail  river,  and  are  safely  floated  for  hun- 
dreds of  miles  down  north  into  the  Hudson  Bay  provinces. 
Aside  from  these  valuable  forests  in  Northern  Dakota  the 
new  coal  fields,  which  have  been  recently  discovered  on  the 
Upper  Missouri  near  Bismarck,  are  proving  of  great  wealth 
to  the  country.  Two  and  one-half  tons  of  this  Dakota  coal 
was  recently  tested  and  ran  a  train  of  eleven  freight  cars  from 
Bismarck  to  Jamestown,  a  distance  of  ninety-four  miles. 
Veins  of  this  coal  several  feet  in  thickness  and  of  excellent 
quality  are  being  opened  on  Knife  river,  and  preparations  are 
being  made  to  render  this  cheap  fuel  accessible  to  the  prairie 
settlements  along  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad.  Large  coal 
deposits  have  also  been  found  on  the  Cannon  Ball  river,  in 
the  direction  of  the  Black  Hills,  and  it  is  anticipated  that  the 
Northern  Pacific  Railroad  will  next  season  extend  its  track 
into  the  ven''  heart  of  the  coal  region,  thereby  securing  re- 
turn freights  for  its  east-bound  trains. 

The  town  of  Fargo  boasts  of  the  largest  and  finest  hotel 
in  Dakota,  having  been  constructed  by  the  railroad  company 
at  a  cost  of  $45,900,  and  is  now  admirably  conducted  by  N. 
K.  Hubbard.  The  largest  and  handsomest  courthouse  in 
Dakota  is  also  being  erected  here  at  a  cost  to  the  county  of 
$10,000.  in  ten-year  bonds.  Two  handsome  churches  have 
just  been  completed.  Fargo  can  turn  out  more  fast  horses, 
bird  dogs  and  sporting  men  than  any  town  of  equal  size  in 
the  territory ;  and  the  dogs  can  make  more  noise  and  the  men 
can  burn  more  powder  and  shoot  finer  chickens  than  any  ar- 
tillery squad  that  T  ever  saw.  As  to  fast  horses,  T  took  one 
ride  with  friend  Chapin  behind  his  two-fortv  wind  splitter, 
and  I  lost  my  hat  and  shirt  collar  the  first  three  jumps  the 
critter  made.  Goldsmith  Maid  has  no  business  up  here.  A. 
H.  Moor  then  brought  out  his  steed  Fclipse  and  picked  me 
up  and  whirled  me  round  the  town  at  such  a  whizzing  speed 
than  my  ears  roared  like  a  bumble  bee's  nest,  and  mv  face 
was  so  plastered  with  mud  that  I  looked  like  a  Granger.     I 


SKETCHES  OE  TRAVEE  AND  EARLY  HARDSHIPS.  -O^ 

handed  my  wife  over  to  the  mercy  of  these  fast  drivers,  and 
nearly  every  day  she  and  the  excellent  landlady,  Mrs.  Chapin, 
are  out  driving  over  the  prairies,  culling  wild  flowers  and 
stealing  melons  from  the  farmers'  fields.  I  called  on  Har- 
wood,  editor  of  the  E.v/^rcss  here,  and  found  him  writing  edi- 
torials with  one  hand  and  fighting  mosquitoes  with  the  other, 
while  his  partner,  Jones,  was  sticking  type  with  his  fingers, 
talking  politics  with  his  tongue,  and  kicking  dogs  with  his 
feet.  I  found  Geo.  I.  Foster  here,  as  clerk  of  the  court,  trav- 
eling about  organizing  new  counties  and  picking  plums.  I 
also  made  the  trip  to  Bismarck,. and  met  Colonel  Lounsbury. 
the  good  looking  editor  of  that  great  family  newspaper,  the 
Bismarck  Tribune.  He  showed  me  through  his  fine  printing 
office,  which  is  a  credit  to  the  town,  and  asked  me  to  sub- 
scribe for  his  paper  and  vote  for  Kidder.  Lounsbury  has  an 
eye  to  business,  and  he  ought  to  start  a  campaign  paper  and 
open  a  voting  precinct  for  Kidder  in  the  Black  Hills.  He 
says,  and  I  believe  him,  that  Red  Cloud's  and  vSpotted  Tail's 
Indians  know  as  much  about  Dakota  politics  as  anybody. 
My  old  friend,  Captain  Singiser,  met  me  at  the  train  with  the 
grip  of  welcome.  He  is  cashier  of  the  railroad  at  this  point, 
and  he  throws  greenbacks  at  a  man  with  as  much  boldness 
as  he  used  to  sling  editorial  ink  in  days  gone  by.  He  is  regis- 
ter of  deeds,  clerk  of  the  court,  member  of  the  church,  and 
aside  from  all  this,  he  runs  a  steam  ferry,  deals  in  coal  mines, 
speculates  in  lands  and  city  lots,  and  worships  his  devoted 
wife.  In  walking  across  the  street  he  asked  me  to  take  a 
glass  of  lager  with  him,  and  when  I  told  him  I  had  not 
touched  a  drop  of  Hquor  in  two  years,  he  turned  square 
around  and  said :  "Good  heavens !  no  wonder  you  are  not 
a. candidate  for  office;  you  couldn't  get  a  vote  in  this  town." 
We  passed  on  down  Front  street,  and  I  was  surprised  to  ob- 
serve the  large  and  well  fitted  storerooms,  equalling  any  in 
Yankton.  Business  appeared  to  be  good  for  this  season  of 
the  year,  and  the  town  has  more  than  doubled  its  gro^vth 
within  the  past  year.     There  are  two    good    hotels  in  Bis- 


204  SKETCHES   OF  TRAVEL  AND   EARLY   HARDSHIPS. 

iiiarck,  and  I  observed  a  chvirch  tower  sticking  up  above  the 
saloons.  Singiser  assured  me  that  most  of  the  people  there 
were  "spiritually"  inclined,  but  that  since  the  Beecher  scan- 
dal there  was  a  difference  of  opinion  as  to  what  kind  of  spirits 
was  best. 

On  our  return  through  Jamestown,  we  were  served  with 
an  excellent  dinner  by  friend  Killeher.  who  keeps  the  eating 
house  at  that  place,  and  we  saw  the  largest  vegetables  on  the 
table  that  we  had  witnessed  this  summer  anywhere.  James- 
town has  grown  to  be  a  pleasant  village  of  well  built  frame 
houses,  instead  of  the  nest  of  canvas  tents  which  it  was  on 
my  last  visit,  two  years  ago. 

Judge  Barnes  and  his  amiable  wife  and  daughter,  also 
Marshal  Burdick  and  wife  and  son.  Attorney  Pound  and  son. 
Deputy  Collector  Bennett,  and  Geo.  I.  Foster,  clerk,  left 
here  on  the  steamer  International  for  Pembina  yesterday. 
Court  meets  there  on  Tuesday  next.  The  Bismarck  land 
office  opens  next  month.  Politics  have  not  assumed  any 
definite  shape  up  here  yet,  and  will  not  until  Burleigh  and 
Kidder  put  in  their  appearance. 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS 


WESTERN    EMPIRE 


SKETCHES    OF   CONGRESS   AND  WESTERN 

EMPIRE. 


A  PIONEKR  CONGRKSSMAN  ARRIVES  IN  WASHINGTON. 

National  Hotel,  Washington,  Feb.  28,  1871. 

I  last  wrote  you  under  date  of  Feb.  21st  from  St.  Paul, 
Minn.,  on  my  way  from  Yankton  to  Washington.  Taking 
the  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  train  next  morning,  I  traveled  very 
comfortably  and  speedily  on  magnificent  cars  to  Prairie  du 
Chien  for  supper.  At  this  place  I  took  a  sleeping  car  for  Mil- 
waukee, and  all  night  I  dreamed  that  I  was  riding  "feet  first 
and  toes  up"  for  congress.  Awakening  next  morning,  I  found 
my  head  swelled,  my  boots  blacked  and  breakfast  ready,  for 
75  cents,  at  the  Milwaukee  depot.  My  friend  in  the  lower 
bunk  gave  me  a  smell  of  his  "camphor  bottle,"  and  consoled 
me  by  saying  that  in  Washington  I  would  find  all  congress- 
men wearing  blacked  boots  and  swelled  heads.  I  took  break- 
fast and  rode  down  to  Chicago  for  dinner  over  the  swift  rail 
of  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railroad,  which  threads  the 
now  wintry  shore  of  old  Lake  Michigan.  Snows  were  still 
deep  and  drifted  in  the  cities  of  Milwaukee  and  Chicago. 

Taking  the  Fort  Wayne  &  Pittsburg  train  at  five  o'clock, 
I  rode  all  night  with  my  head  behind  me  in  an  old  and  rattling 
sleeping  car  toward  the  towering  Alleghany  mountains. 
Breakfasting  at  a  small  town  in  Ohio,  my  native  state,  we  flew 
forward  like  the  wind  to  Pittsburg  for  dinner.  Here  the  snow 
had  disappeared,  the  grass  was  pricking  from  the  sunny  hill- 
sides, while  the  Ohio  river  was  open,  and  the  steam  ferries 
making  regular  trips.  We  now  began  to  ascend  the  steep 
and  snowy  heights  of  the  Alleghanies.  With  two  powerful 
engines  attached,  we  flew  up  the  winding  curves  and  along 


f 

208  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

the  rim  of  deep  and  frightful  gorges,  at  tlie  wonderful  speed 
of  forty  miles  an  hour  onto  the  very  mountain  height.  Here 
passing-  through  a  dark,  cold  tunnel  three-fourths  of  a  mile 
in  length,  we  commenced  descending  the  eastern  slope  of  the 
mountains,  and  while  the  long  train  went  springing"  headlong, 
like  a  scared  wolf,  down  the  steep  declivities  and  around  the 
sharp  cliffs,  I  felt  like  jumping  oiY  with  my  carpet-bag  and 
footing  it  down  the  mountain.  We  took  supper  at  .Vltoona. 
near  the  base  of  the  mountains,  and  then  Hew  onward  to  Har- 
risbiu'g,  where,  weary  and  sleepy,  I  stopped  over  to  rest  for 
the  night.  Leaving  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning"  we  ran 
on  through  a  country  of  enchanting  beauty,  to  Baltimore  for 
dinner. 

It  is  said  that  Baltimore  boasts  of  the  handsomest  women 
on  the  globe.  1  here  saw  and  ate  the  first  fresh  oyster  in  my 
life,  and  I  slaughtered  him  on  the  "half  shell."  Leaving  at 
two  o'clock,  we  ran  into  AVashington  at  four,  arriving  at  the 
national  capital  in  a  drizzling  rain.  Here  I  foimd  Governor 
Burbank,  Judge  French.  Secretary  Batchelder,  Major  Han- 
son, Colonel  Propper  and  others  of  Dakota.  T  had  not  been 
in  the  city  thirty  minutes  before  they  put  a  new  plug  hat  on 
my  head.  I  have  since  bought  a  cane  and  umbrella,  and  my 
head  is  still  swelling  every  day.  This  congress  business  kills 
a  great  many  men  here ;  it  breaks  out  all  over  like  the  measles. 
Delegate  Spink  took  me  in  hand,  and  put  me  through  the 
excruciating  ordeal  of  introductions.  Ben  Butler  was  about 
the  first  man  I  was  presented  to  as,  "Delegate-elect  from  Da- 
kota— a  Democrat."  Ben  dropped  one  e}'e  dov.n  on  me,  and 
the  other  he  cocked  up  like  a  listening  steer  in  a  corn  field, 
shook  hands  with  me,  and  1  thought  he  whispered  "Where 
are  your  brains?"  I  answered  at  least,  "in  my  new  plug  hat." 
I  know  by  the  smile  he  gave  me  that  I  had  triissed  the  locality. 
I  next  went  with  Governor  Burbank  to  call  on  President 
Grant,  who,  by  the  way,  is  the  most  perfectly  collected  and 
deliberate  man  that  I  ever  met.  1  was  introduced  as  the  "Del- 
egate-elect, with  one  fault,  that  of  being  a  Democrat."    The 


EXCITING  RACE  OF  ARMY  CONTRACTORS.-p.  ,46. 


SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  209 

president  shut  one  e}e  on  me.  i^ave  one  piilT  nf  his  cii^ar,  and 
suggested  that  it  Avas  hetter  to  have  but  one  fault  than  but 
one  idea.  I  considered  the  idea  a  good  one,  but  made  no 
reply  to  the  fault,  except  that  the  people  had  sent  me  there. 
I  next  went  with  Secretary  Batchelder  to  call  on  the  secretary 
of  war,  and  see  what  could  be  done  to  procure  arms  and 
equipments  for  the  Dakota  com])any  of  national  guards.  We 
were  informed  that  Dakota  had  already  overdrawn  her  (|uota, 
nearly  $22,000,  and  nothing  could  be  done  without  a  special 
act  of  congress ;  hence,  until  such  time,  the  Yankton  Guards 
will  have  to  uniform  themselves  in  buckskin  and  use  bows 
and  arrows.  We  next  called  at  the  treasury  department  to 
in(|uire  about  starting  a  national  bank  in  Yankton,  and  were 
plainly  told  that  no  bank  would  l^e  ordered  by  the  govern- 
ment unless  the  citizens  could  unite  harmoniously  in  an  appli- 
cation, lie  did  not  desire  to  establish  a  political  bank  in  the 
interest  of  any  one.  From  here  we  sauntered  around  by  the 
Smithsonian  Institute  and  Botanical  Gardens,  and  I  must  con- 
fess that  these  two  institutions  are  the  only  ones  that  have 
come  up  to  the  anticipation  of  things  which  I  had  prepared 
myself  to  witness  at  the  national  capital.  Returning  from 
these  beautiful  places  of  resort,  being  weary  and  foot-sore 
from  constant  walking  on  the  brick  and  stone  pax'ements,  I 
made  for  a  passing  horse  car,  and  in  jumping  on  to  the  plat- 
form my  new  plug  hat  fell  off  and  the  wheel  ran  over  it.  In 
scrambling  for  my  stovepipe  1  ran  my  cane  into  a  woman's 
side  and  stuck  my  uml:)rella  into  the  horse's  heels,  and  made 
the  driver  swear.  I  recovered  my  hat,  but  it  was  flatter  than 
a  congressman's  purse  after  an  election,  while  a  dozen  boot 
blacks  were  after  me  to  make  my  mud-scarred  stogas  '"shine." 
I  have  concluded  to  wear  moccasins  and  a  Scotch  cap  here- 
after, and  turn  into  the  street  or  hug  a  lamp  post  when  I 
meet  ladies.  I  have  been  into  the  house  of  representatives 
twice  this  week,  and  in  coming  out  each  time  I  lost  my  way 
among  the  labyrinths,  and  found  myself  once  in  the  base- 
ment and  (^nce  in  the  garret  of  the  capitol.     1  have  learned 


2IO  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

to  watch  the  drinking  members,  for  when  they  go  out  they 
take  the  shortest  cut  to  the  street.  This  is  my  week  of  dis- 
covery and  diversion.  In  my  next  I  will  write  of  the  proceed- 
ings of  congress. 


WHAT  I  SEE  AND  HEAR  IX  CONGRESS. 

HocsE  OF  Representatives, 
Washington,  March  i8,  1871. 
On  the  4th  of  March  I  was  sworn  in  and  warmed  my 
seat  in  congress.  I  drew,  by  lot,  a  convenient  seat  among 
the  red-hot  Democrats  of  Georgia,  situated  three  desks  to 
the  right  of  and  on  the  blind  side  of  the  speaker.  General 
Slocum  of  New  York  is  my  desk-mate.  I  have  opened  my 
mouth  but  once  in  the  House,  to  introduce  a  railroad  bill,  and 
in  order  to  be  noticed  at  all  I  Avas  obliged  to  hollow  ''Mr., 
Speaker,"  loud  enough  to  be  heard  across  a  mile  of  western 
prairie.  My  fellow  members  said  I  screamed  like  a  Dakota 
locomotive  behind  time.  I  told  them  that  Dakota  was  "be- 
hind time"  in  having  no  railroad,  and  that  we  were  bound 
to  keep  screaming  till  we  got  one.  Every  member  within 
twent}-  feet  of  me  agreed  to  vote  for  a  Dakota  railroad  if  I 
would  only  take  the  thing  home  with  me  and  '"let  her  scream" 
on  the  western  plains,  beyond  the  reach  of  congressional  ears. 
I  bowed  and  subsided,  and  as  I  took  my  chair  I  felt  as  thoug-h 
I  had  dropped  into  a  "silver  palace  sleeping  car,"  and  was 
floating  away  up  the  Missouri  valley  from  Sioux  City  to 
\'ankton.  But  I  was  aroused  from  my  reverie  by  a  member 
from  the  mountains  of  Virginia,  who  pinched  my  elbow  and 
asked,  "Do  you  live  on  the  great  plains  of  Dakota?"  I  an- 
swered, "I  do,  sir."  "How  far  can  you  see  in  that  country?" 
"We  can  see  to  where  the  skies  come  down  to  the  earth,  and 
in  clear  weather  if  a  man  has  a  keen  eye  for  the  future  he  can 
see  into  the  next  world."  Said  he,  "Congress  ought  to  build 
a  railroad  there  immediately,  for  it  is  the  only  opportunfty 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRKSS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIKi;.  -  I  I 

that  many  of  ns  will  ever  have  to  witness  the  'holy  land.'  " 
vSaid  I :  "Why  don't  your  poor  and  laboring  classes  of  the 
East  come  out  to  Dakota  and  settle  down  upon  the  free 
homesteads  of  160  acres  which  congress  long  ago  donated 
to  every  head  of  a  family."  Said  he,  "\Miat  would  these 
homesteaders  do  in  that  prairie  country,  for  wood,  fencing 
and  building  material?  They  tell  me,"  he  continued,  "that 
the  young  men  in  that  territory  seldom  marry,  for  the  reason 
that  their  homsetead  claims  do  not  contain  wood  enough  to 
keep  their  wives  and  children  warm  in  winter;  and  further, 
that  in  many  portions  of  Dakota  a  home-seeker  may  travel  a 
hundred  miles  without  finding  a  bush  or  stick  large  enough 
to  kill  an  offending  rattlesnake.  Congress  might  as  well  give 
a  man  a  title  to  160  acres  of  blue  sky  as  to  offer  him  a  home- 
stead on  a  boundless  plain  a  hundred  miles  from  market." 

At  this  moment  a  motion  was  put  for  adjournment  and  a 
division  called  for,  by  rising.  Although  I  have  no  vote,  I 
kept  standing,  and  my  head  was  counted  in  the  negative. 
During  the  great  tumult  and  disorder  here  at  the  beginning 
of  the  session,  I  was  constantly  on  my  feet  watching  the 
"stage  performances,"  and  on  about  half  the  motions  that 
were  put  I  was  counted  as  voting  from  a  state.  But  one  of 
the  cunning  little  pages  has  learned  to  watch  me  now,  and 
when  I  rise  he  pulls  my  coat  tail  and  says,  "Sit  down.  Young 
Dakota."  The  eternal  clapping  of  hands  by  members  to 
summon  these  little  errand  boys  was  at  first  a  source  of  great 
annoyance  and  confusion  to  me.  I  thought  that  they  were 
?ill  applauding  the  speaker  who  had  the  floor,  but  I  soon 
learned  that  they  didn't  know  nor  care  what  was  being  said, 
but  were  writing  letters  and  mailing  documents  to  their  con- 
stituents. It  was  not  long  till  Ben  Butler  obtained  the  floor 
to  discuss  the  measure  knov/n  as  the  "Ku  Klux  Bill,"  "to 
protect  the  lives  and  property  of  loyal  citizens  in  the  Southern 
States,"  and  yielded  fifteen  minutes  to  the  very  black  member 
from  South  Carolina,  Mr.  Elliott.  Immediately  the  house 
was  as  still  as  a  church ;   the  Democrats  left  their  seats  and 


2  12  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

pressed  over  to  the  center  of  the  hall,  the  Republicans  gath- 
ered closely  around  the  "dark  idol  of  liberty,"  while  the  deli- 
cate and  pale  faced  flock  of  errand  boys  fiew  around  to  the 
left  like  carrier  doves  and  formed  in  a  line  in  front  of  the 
African  orator.  Ben  Butler  took  an  elevated  position  and 
looked  the  negro  straight  in  the  white  of  his  eye  for  fifteen 
minutes,  until  done  speaking.  The  galleries  were  crowded 
with  ladies  and  gentlemen,  but  all  seemed  to  be  more  aston- 
ished at  the  scene  than  convinced  by  the  appeal.  This  ques- 
tion, of  course,  opened  a  broad  field  for  discussion,  which  was 
indulged  in  by  most  of  the  leading  men  of  the  house.  Dawes, 
Butler,  Garfield,  Stevenson,  Farnsworth,  Bingham,  Hoar  and 
others  on  the  Republican  side,  and  Cox,  Beck,  Wood,  El- 
dridge,  Voorhees.  Campbell,  Kerr,  Democrats,  rushed  into 
the  contest  with  bitterness  and  eloquence.  A  stranger  would 
hardly  believe  me  were  I  to  tell  him,  that  the  most  able 
men  in  congress  are  not  brilliant  or  eloquent  speakers.  But- 
ler, Dawes,  Farnsworth  and  even  Bingham  are  not  speakers 
who  would  carry  an  audience.  The  same  is  true  of  Cox, 
Wood,  Brooks,  Eldridge  and  Campbell.  Voorhees  and  Kerr 
are  sometimes  truly  eloquent.  Blaine  is  probably  the  most 
finished  and  effective  speaker  on  the  Republican  side  of  the 
house.  In  the  recent  exciting  passage-at-arms  between  him- 
self and  Butler,  on  the  Ku  Klux  measure,  his  eloquence  was 
like  a  sword  of  silver,  so  keen  and  cutting  were  his  brilliant 
utterances.  Butler's  great  fqrt  of  strength  is  in  his  deter- 
mined pluck,  his  coolness  in  debate,  and  invulnerable  skin, 
lie  laughs  at  attack  and  prefers  to  be  in  the  minority.  Half 
the  time  that  B>laine  was  pouring  out  upon  T.en  the  \'ials  of 
caustic  sarcasm,  beneath  which  any  other  member  would  have 
cringed  with  fear  or  fiown  off  in  a  passion,  Butler  was  smiling 
and  nodding  -his  head,  and  every  one  of  Blaine's  fiery  bolts 
seemed  to  rebound  harmless  from  Ben's  tough  skin.  This 
was  called  the  stormiest  day  witnessed  in  the  house  for  many 
years,  and  it  reminded  me  of  a  crowd  of  excited  passengers 
crying  out  llicir  cliccks  for  baggage  in  a  union  depot. 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  Wl' STERN  EMPIRE.  213 

ArxOther  great  "field  fight"  took  place  in  the  senate  last 
week,  on  the  removal  of  wSumner  from  the  head  of  the  com- 
mittee on  foreign  relations.  vSenators  Wilson,  Howe,  Sher- 
man, Schurtz,  Logan,  Nye  and  Tijjton  were  the  great  glad- 
iators in  this  heated  contest.  The  eloquence  of  Wilson, 
Schurtz  and  Logan  and  the  wit  of  Tipton  carried  the  sym- 
pathy of  the  galleries  and  the  lobbies  for  Sunmer;  ImU  the 
plain,  straightfonvard  senatorial  logic  of  Howe,  Sherman, 
Morton  and  Nye  convinced  the  senate,  and  Sumner  was  de- 
throned. It  is  called  here  a  personal  fight  between  Grant 
and  Sumner,  on  the  San  Domingo  question,  and  the  Demo- 
crats appear  to  care  but  little  which  comes  out  ahead.  Since 
the  death  of  slavery  and  the  freedom  of  the  black  race  Sum- 
ner is,  like  Tago,  without  an  occupation,  and  he  is  now  seek- 
ing whom  he  may  destroy.  But  Grant,  it  seems,  don't  "de- 
stroy well."  I  think  the  conservative  element  of  the  country 
is  preparing  to  sustain  the  president  in  his  annexation  meas- 
ures, as  against  Sumner.  Democrats  and  conservative  men 
can  look  ff)r  no  ameliorating  measure  to  be  promulgated  by 
a  man  whose  eveiy  act  and  utterafice  of  his  long  public  life 
has  been  so  fraught  with  radical  l)itterness  as  that  of  Sumner. 
The  San  Doming"o  connnission  arc  expected  home  next  week, 
and  soon  thereafter  it  is  thought  that  congress  will  adjourn. 
No  working  committees  have  yet  been  appointed  in  the 
house,  and  hence  no  business  of  importance  is  being  trans- 
acted. I  am  very  confident  that  when  the  committees  get 
settled  down  to  business  we  can  get  a  modified  railroad  land 
grant  for  Dakota.  But  if  we  ask  for  too  much  we  will  lose 
all. 


KILLING  THE   "BLUES"   IN   WASHINGTON. 

House  oe  Representatives, 
Washington,  March  31.  1871. 
Nothing  is  being  done  in  congress  but    to  debate  and 
quarrel  over  the  Ku  Klux  bill  in  the  house,  and  the  Domingo 


2  14  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

Isle  in  the  senate.  Resolutions  have  been  passed  to  prohibit 
g-eneral  legislation  this  session :  hence,  I.  as  a  delegate,  hav- 
ing no  vote,  have  been  passing  away  these  wet,  gloomy  days 
of  Washington  by  attending  to  business  at  the  departments. 

It  seems  to  rain  here  with  as  little  difficulty  as  a  woman 
weeps.  The  cold,  drizzling  drops  appear  to  chill  the  hearts 
of  the  people,  so  much  so  that  they  all  carry  umbrellas  over 
their  heads,  and  look  "blue"  in  the  face :  except  the  negroes, 
and  they  look  "pale."  These  wet.  sloppy  days  make  me  long 
to  get  back  under  the  bright,  cheering  skies  of  Dakota.  If 
there  is  anj^thing  that  will  make  a  person  blue  it  is  to  see  the 
Avorld  around  him  look  so ;  the  skies  gloomy,  the  streets  wet, 
doors  closed,  and  the  passing  crowd  looking  despondent. 
But  I  long  ago  learned  that  life  is  too  short  in  this  world  for 
a  man  to  waste  time  in  having  the  blues ;  hence,  during  these 
dull  days  of  speech-making  and  rain-falling,  while  nearly 
everybody  appears  to  have  the  mumps  or  blues.  I  started  out 
on  a  tour  to  the  resorts  of  sport  and  amusement. 

In  fact.  I  have  talked  railroad  so  much  here  that  a  con- 
gressman told  me  to-day  that  he  wished  I  had  a  double  track, 
broad  gauge,  with  a  daily  train  nmning  up  and  down  my 
back.  I  told  him  if  I  only  had  the  thing  on  my  back,  I  would 
start  for  Dakota  to-night.  But  as  it  was  still  raining,  he 
advised  me  to  wait  and  go  to  the  great  horse  show,  and  learn 
how  to  tame  "vicious  animals."  Accordingly,  in  the  morning 
I  started  out,  with  umbrella,  and  wended  my  way  through  the 
rain  to  the  great  pavillion,  on  the  avenue.  Here  I  also  found 
President  Grant  and  a  number  of  the  High  Commission.  When 
the  great  animal  tamer  threw  a  plunging  horse  upon  his  side, 
in  the  arena,  and  sat  upon  his  head,  the  president  was  greatly 
pleased,  and  it  seemed  to  remind  him  of  the  floundering  Re- 
publican party  with  himself  sitting  upon  Sumner,  its  head. 
And  when  the  exhibiter  hobbled  and  mastered  a  kicking 
horse  in  ten  minutes,  and  drove  him,  like  a  lamb,  in  his  sulky, 
the  president  smiled  as  though  he  had  learned  a  new  way  to 
hamper  balky  politicians  into  the  party  traces.     Next  came 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN"  E-MPTRE.  -  ■  5 

a  kicking  mule, — one  of  the  Josh  Billings  kind,  that  often 
behaves  a  whole  year  to  get  a  good  chance  to  kick  somebody. 
The  first  plunge  that  mule  made  he  threw  the  bottom  of  his 
off  hind  foot  within  three  inches  of  my  innocent  nose.  You 
can  rely  upon  it,  I  felt  "tamed"  immediately,  and  I  backed  out 
of  that  ring  like  a  craAv-fish ;  and  T  have  not  been  to  any 
horse  shows  since.  It  is  a  good  place  to  get  rid  of  the  blues, 
and  affords  a  man  an  excellent  chance  to  have  his  head  kicked 
oflF  so  quick  that  he  won't  know  whether  he  is  dead  or  di- 
vorced. As  I  passed  down  the  avenue,  T  heard  that  long- 
eared  animal  braying  like  a  steamboat,  and  I  afterwards  heard 
that  he  did  not  become  tamed  till  he  had  kicked  his  own  shoes 
ofT  and  his  hide  loose. 

Down  at  the  comer  of  the  next  block  T  heard  an  auction- 
eer crying  out  "going  for  50  cents."  I  struck  straight  for 
his  voice,  and  as  T  entered  the  room  he  caught  my  eye  and 
nodded  his  head.  I  returned  the  compliment.  At  that  mo- 
ment he  cried  out.  "Sold  and  gone."  To  my  surprise,  I 
found  that  by  nodding  my  head  T  had  bought  a  woman's 
head-dress  for  fifty  cents.  I  paid  the  money,  and  left  the 
prize  on  the  counter.  I  slipped  out  and  walked  slowly  down 
the  street,  muttering  to  myself,  "Sold  and  gone" ;  and  T 
haven't  nodded  my  head  at  a  man  since  I  made  that  purchase. 
Being  a  single  man,  I  felt  a  little  blue  over  that  bargain,  so 
T  pushed  on  through  the  rain,  up  the  avenue,  and  soon  met 
a  boot-black,  who  offered  me  a  "shine"  for  ten  cents.  Think- 
ing my  understanding  needed  brightening  up,  I  poked  my 
foot  out  to  him.  He  pulled  his  artist-brush  and  looked  me 
m  the  face  and  said,  "Boss,  you  looks  like  one  of  them  ar 
congressmen ;  chock  down  the  cash  before  I  spit  on  your 
boot,  sah;  we  don't  trust  them  ar  M.  C.  fellars."  I  paid  him 
the  dime,  and  he  blacked  one  boot  and  then  asked  if  I  wanted 
the  other  "slicked,"  saying-  that  his  price  was  ten  cents  a  foot. 
By  this  time  I  began  to  get  a  "mad  on,"  and  I  turned  from 
the  impudent  Sambo,  and  walked  rapidly  on,  with  one  boot 
black  and  the  other  brindle.     Mv  brindle  foot  attracted  so 


2l6  SKETCHES  OF  CON'GRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

much  attention  that  T  stepped  the  other  into  the  mnd  to  make 
a  match.  It  now  bein^^  near  night.  I  began  to  retrace  my  steps 
toward  the  National  Hotel,  and  in  passing  the  corner  of  Sev- 
enth street  and  Pennsylvania  avenue  I  ^^■as  attracted  by  a 
large  mixed  crowd  of  negroes  and  white  men.  listening  to 
campaign  speeches  on  the  approaching  election  for  delegate 
to  congress  from  this  new  Territory  of  Colnmbia.  The  black 
orator.  Elliot,  was  thundering  at  the  crowd  as  I  came  np.  and 
the  whole  passing  jiopnlace  seemed  to  stop  and  look  in  won- 
derment at  this  African  prodigy,  instructing  white  men.  He 
soon  closed,  and  a  white  Republican  speaker  arose  to  address 
the  meeting,  and  the  crowd  began  to  disperse.  I  was  struck 
by  the  natural  curiosity  of  mankind,  \\nioever  can  attract 
attention,  no  matter  b}*  what  strategy,  is  popular.  TvCt  a  man 
stand  in  the  middle  of  the  street,  on  a  fine  Sal)bath  morning. 
and  look  right  up  in  the  sky  ten  minutes,  and  he  will  soon 
draw  around  him  a  larger  crowd  than  would  Henr}'  Ward 
Beecher  in  Plymouth  Church.  Let  a  person  start  a  dog 
fight,  a  negro  meeting,  or  a  horse  race,  and  he  will  get  a  fuller 
"turn  out"  than  could  be  rallied  by  the  most  brilliant  speaker 
in  congress. 

The  rain}-,  gloom}-  days  are  now  over,  and  this  morning 
the  warm  sun  is  smiling  over  the  beautiful  city. 

The  fiery  debates  on  Southern  outrages  are  still  increas- 
ing in  congress,  and  the  whole  issue,  so  far,  may  be  stated 
in  a  nut-shell,  viz. :  The  Republican  speakers  claim  that  the 
federal  government  has  a  constitutional  right  to  protect  life, 
liberty  and  property  on  every  inch  of  American  soil,  when- 
ever it  appears  that  any  state  shall  fail,  refuse,  or  is  unable  to 
afTord  such  protection.  The  Democrats  reply  that  this  is 
breaking  down  the  barrier  of  state  rights,  and  that  each  state 
should  be  allowed  to  enforce  its  own  fews  and  punish  its  own 
criminals  in  its  proper  state  courts.  The  Democrats,  thus  far 
in  the  debate,  have  had  the  advantage  of  forcible  speakers, 
v.hile  the  Republican  advocates  of  the  bill,  although  able  in 
argument,  are  delinquent  in  eloquence. 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMlMRi;.  2  I  7 

CONGRESSIONAL  SKETCHES. 

House  of  Representatives. 
Washington,  Feb.  3,  1872. 

Tn  compliance  with  my  promise  made  before  leaving  Da- 
kota. I  shall  hereafter  endeavor  to  send  to  my  people  each 
week  a  letter  giving-  briefly  the  Congressional  news  and  top- 
ics of  interest  to  the  people  of  Dakota.  The  daily  proceed- 
ings and  routine  of  cong-ress  are  pretty  well  presented  to  the 
reading  public  by  the  telegraphic  dispatches  published  in 
r.early  all  the  papers  in  Dakota,  and  in  consequence  thereof 
I  'ihall  devote  my  letters,  through  the  winter,  more  particu- 
larly to  topics  of  news  which  are  not  published  in  the  daily 
congressional  dispatches  throughout  the  country. 

The  1:>ill  before  congress  for  the  organization  of  a  new  ter- 
ritory out  of  the  northern  portion  of  Dakota  meets  with 
much  opposition  from  Eastern  members,  particularly  admin- 
istration men.  who  claim  that  it  is  injudicious  to  impose 
upon  the  government  the  expense  of  a  separate  territorial 
organization  over  a  country  where  there  are  at  present  so  few 
people.  The  commiltec  on  territories  have  listened  to  state- 
ments in  favor  of  the  territorial  division,  made  by  Judge 
Brookings,  Dr.  Burleigh,  Colonel  Propper,  Secretary  Batch- 
elder,  T.  M.  Wilkins,  and  the  Minnesota  congressional  dele- 
gation. The  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company  seem  to 
take  but  little  interest  in  the  matters.  They  desire  more  im- 
mediately the  survey  of  their  lands  along  the  line  of  road  than 
a  present  territorial  g'ovcrnment.  The  chances  arc  that  the 
bill  may  pass  congress  in  May  or  June,  provided  the  coun- 
try is  sufficiently  opened  to  settlement  before  that  time  by 
the  completion  of  sixty  or  a  hundred  miles  of  the  Northern 
Pacific  Railroad. 

There  is  no  hope  for  any  land  grant  bill  becoming  a  law 
this  session.  Congress  has  become  frightened  at  its  own 
shadow,  in  looking  back  at  the  long  list  of  extravagant  and 
hasty  land  donations  that  have  been  bestOAved  upon  the  now 


2l8  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

rich  and  powerful  railroad  corporations  of  the  country.  For 
this  reason  many  sections  of  the  treeless  plains  of  the  great 
West  must  now  remain  unaided  by  congressional  land  grants 
for  railroads,  thus  leaving  immigration  to  creep  slowly  over 
the  public  domain.  The  only  prospect  for  help  to  Dakota 
railroads  is  in  the  fact  that  not  an  acre  of  land  or  a  dollar  in 
money  has  ever  been  given  by  the  federal  government  to  our 
territory  for  this  purpose,  and  Dakota  being  an  exception  in 
this  respect,  congress  looks  with  some  compassion  on  the  bill 
now  in  the  house,  which  is  to  allow  our  territory  to  select 
and  put  in  immediate  use  one-half  the  amount  of  "Internal 
Improvement  Lands,"  which  fall  to  us  upon  our  admission  as 
a  state. 

DAKOTA  SOrTHERN  RAILROAD. 

The  railroad  bond  law,  passed  by  our  legislature,  under 
the  provisions  of  which  Yankton  county  voted  $200,000  to 
aid  the  Dakota  Southern  Railroad,  is  now  being  considered 
by  the  committee  on  railroads, ^and  will  soon  be  reported  to 
the  house  for  final  passage. 

The  bill  to  purchase  the  Black  Hills  pine  lands  of  the  In- 
dians, for  the  purpose  of  erecting  mills,  and  manufacturing 
and  rafting  lumber  to  the  white  settlements  of  Dakota,  meets 
with  favor  before  the  committee  on  territories. 

The  bill  for  arming  the  Dakota  national  giiards  meets  with 
no  objection  before  the  committee  on  military  affairs,  but 
the  same  cannot  be  said  of  the  bill  before  the  same  committee 
tee  to  reimburse  Dakota  for  military  expenses,  which  debt 
was  necessarily  incurred  by  the  people,  to  the  amount  of  $28,- 
137.17,  in  protecting  themselves  against  the  invasion  of  hos- 
tile Indians  in  1862. 

This  demand  is  just,  and  should  have  been  long  ago  paid 
by  the  war  department,  inasmuch  as  the  military  duty  at  that 
time  performed  b}^  the  people  who  were  called  out  under 
proclamation  of  the  governor  saved  to  the  national  govern- 
ment the  great  expense  of  sending  United  States  troops  to 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  219 

the  Dakota  frontier  to  protect  the  border  settlements  against 
Indians  who  were  driven  to  war  by  the  non-fulfilhnent  of 
treaty  pledges  on  the  part  of  the  government.  The  fact  is. 
however,  that  this  whole  military  debt  is  due  to  the  early 
pioneers  in  amounts  averaging  fifty-one  dollars  each,  for  two 
months'  service  in  the  militia  in  1862. 

A  bill  is  now  before  the  house  which  absorbs  a  great  deal 
of  attention,  and  excites  much  instructive  debate,  providing 
for  applying  the  proceeds  of  all  future  sales  of  the  public 
lands  to  the  establishment  of  schools,  payment  of  teachers, 
and  the  education  of  all  the  children  of  the  states  and  terri- 
tories, the  funds  to  be  distributed  each  year  according  to  the 
census  of  children  in  each  congressional  district.  This  bill 
meets  with  general  support  among  Republicans,  and  is  ad- 
vocated by  many  Democratic  members  from  the  Southern 
States.  The  principal  objection  urged  is  the  fact  that  by  the 
canvass  of  children  the  Eastern  States  would  reap  the  benefit 
and  profit  of  the  sales  of  lands  in  our  Western  States  and 
Territories.  In  other  words,  the  East  would  furnish  the  chil- 
dren, and  the  West  would  furnish  the  lands.  For  this  reason 
Western  members  urge '  an  amendment  applying  the  same 
amount  of  proceeds  to  each  congressional  district,  as  a  per- 
petual fund  for  the  free  education  of  all  the  children  thereof. 

It  is  thought  that  the  bill  will  pass  in  a  modified  form,  as 
it  has  already  been  reported  by  the  committee,  and  is  now 
undergoing  discussion  before  the  house. 

A  bill  is  also  before  congress  giving  to  each  of  the  ter- 
ritories 30,000  acres  of  college  scrip;  the  same  as  is  now 
allowed  to  each  congressional  district  in  the  states,  for  the 
purpose  of  erecting  one  agricultural  college  therein. 

A  bill  will  be  introduced  on  Monday  next  establishing  a 
new  land  office  at  Yankton,  v/ith  a  land  district  taking  in  the 
Dakota  river  valley,  thus  leaving  the  Missouri  valley  to  the 
Springfield  district,  and  the  Vermillion  and  Sioux  valleys  to 
the  Vermillion  district.  This  bill  is  sanctioned  by  the  com- 
missoner  of  the  general  land  office,  on  the  ground  that  one 


220  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AXD  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

of  the  land  offices  in  each  territory  should  be  located  at  the 
capital  thereof. 

Tri-weekly  mail  service  is  to  be  ordered  early  in  the 
spring-,  on  the  routes  leading  up  the  Sioux  and  ^^ernlillion  riv- 
ers, and  from  Yankton  via  Sioux  Falls  to  the  railroad  ter- 
minus in  Minnesota. 

The  ten  delegates  from  the  territories  recently  called  in 
force  on  President  Grant  to  ask  that  future  federal  appoint- 
ments in  the  territories  be  made  from  citizens  thereof,  and  re- 
ceived the  favorable  reply  which  has  before  this  appeared  in 
the  associated  press  dispatches.  Secretaiy  Batchelder  has 
resigned  his  office,  to  take  effect  the  first  of  February.  Gen. 
PCd.  McCook  of  Illinois  had  been  previously  promised  the  va- 
cancy by  the  president. 

Geo.  H.  Hand  of  Yankton  is  strongly  urged  by  his  friends 
here  for  the  Yankton  agency,  recently  made  vacant  by  the 
senate's  rejection  of  the  new  appointee,  Mr.  Holmes.  Judge 
Brookings  frankly  declares  himself  as  a  candidate  for  the  Re- 
publican nomination  for  congress  next  fall. 


House  oe  Representatives, 
Washington,  Feb.  12,  1872. 

The  mode  and  manner  of  doing  business  at  Washington 
both  in  Congress  and  at  the  Departments  of  the  Govern- 
ment are  indeed  subjects  of  interest  to  the  people.  In  the 
House  of  Representatives,  a  body  of  two  hundred  and  forty- 
three  members,  re]jresenting  as  they  do  the  diversified  and 
sometimes  conflicting  interests  of  the  forty  odd  States  and 
Territories,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  oftentimes  con- 
fusion and  excitement  and  wild  discussion  holds  high  carnival 
in  the  representative  house  of  the  American  Congress. 
Only  once  a  week  are  the  States  and  Territories  called  in  or- 
der for  presentation  of  bills,  and  then  only  to  be  referred  to 
committees  for  consideration.     Many  a  bill  slumbers  in  the 


SKETCHES  OF  COXr.kESS  AXD  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  -2  1 

hands  of  its  appropriate  committee  for  weeks  and  even 
months  before  the  "call  for  reports"  reaches  the  matter  in 
question  ;  and  then  the  committeemen  are  first  entitled  to 
the  floor  for  debate,  and  the  member  whom  the  bill  may  most 
directly  interest,  if  he  be  not  on  the  committee,  must  battle 
his  way  to  get  the  ear  of  the  Speaker  as  best  he  can,  unless 
yielded  to  by  the  courtesy  of  the  member  holding  the  floor. 

HASTY    I,K(',ISI,ATI<)X. 

Sometimes  a  member  undertakes  to  make  an  inroad  upon 
the  bill  as  reported  by  the  committee,  by  proposing  amend- 
ments. This  move  almost  invariably  puts  every  member  on 
the  alert,  and  the  knowing  ones  begin  to  open  their  ears,  and 
rise  to  their  feet  to  be  ready  to  throttle  any  hasty  legislation. 
Long  experience  has  proven  that  many  of  the  most  gigantic 
swindles  have  been  engrafted  into  bills  by  amendments  made 
in  open  house,  when  everything  was  turmoil  and  confusion. 
For  this  reason  the  house  almost  invariable  sanctions  the  re- 
port of  a  committee  who  have  considered  the  matter  under 
discussion ;  and  while  to  a  stranger  in  the  gallery  the  whole 
proceedings  of  the  House  at  times  appears  "like  a  mob  ])ass- 
ing  a  law,"  yet  upon  close  inquiry  it  will  be  found  that  the 
whole  matter  has  been  thoroughly  investigated  b}'^  some  com- 
mittee, whose  members  are  now  on  the  floor  in  the  midst 
of  confusion,  repelling  hasty  amendments  and  defending  the 
bill  against  the  attacks  of  its  enemies. 

For  this  reason,  also,  it  matters  not  how  just  and  necessary 
a  measure  may  be  if  it  be  proposed  to  carry  it  hastily  through 
the  house,  without  a  committee's  indorsement,  it  meets  the 
eye  of  suspicion,  is  objected  to,  referred  or  voted  down.  The 
committees,  in  fact,  are  the  ''eyes  and  ears  of  congress,"  and 
all  business  of  importance  is  investigated  and  adjusted  in  these 
little  "sub-legislatures"  of  the  great  congressional  assembly. 

Congress  meets  at  noon  each  day,  and  usually  sits  about 
three  hours,  and  adjourns.  The  committees  meet  at  ten 
o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  and  discuss  and  consider  bills  until 


222  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

twelve,  during-  which  time  they  send  for  and  listen  to  facts 
and  arguments  presented  by  the  member  who  introduced  the 
bill  under  consideration.  The  committee  then  "assigns"  the 
bill  to  a  sub-committee  of  its  own  members,  and  they  select 
a  "manager"  of  the  bill,  who  is  to  defend  it  before  the  house 
when  reported,  with  the  aid  of  the  introducer  to  whom  is 
usually  awarded  a  part  of  the  time  allowed  to  the  manager 
having  the  matter  under  charge. 

Saturdays  are  occasionally  set  aside  for  "general  debate 
only,"  no  other  business  being  transacted.  Entering  the 
house  on  these  days  the  visitor  will  find  from  ten  to  twenty 
members  in  their  seats,  with  a  temporar}'  chairman  presiding, 
rnd  some  one  member  upon  the  floor  with  a  written  speech 
in  his  hand,  reading  to  the  vacant  chairs  and  empty  galleries. 
Early  next  morning  his  speech  appears  in  the  Globe,  and  the 
member  franks  home  to  his  waiting  constituents  thousands 
of  copies  of  his  "great  speech  in  the  American  congress." 
Short,  sharp,  and  eloquent  speeches  are  sometimes  made  by 
leading  members,  upon  the  spur  of  the  moment,  touching 
some  important  national  matter;  but  none  except  the  most 
experienced  and  able  members  dare  to  launch  out  into  the 
open  sea  of  debate  before  a  full  house  without  being  per- 
fectly prepared  upon  the  subject  in  question,  and  ready  to 
answer  any  interrogatory  that  may  be  propounded  by  a  hun- 
dred able  lawyers  before  him.  Hence  most  of  the  great 
speeches  in  congress  of  late  years  are  delivered  from  written 
copy,  which  is  a  convenient  way  of  precluding  questions  as 
the  speaker  proceeds. 

There  are  but  very  few  eloquent  speakers  in  the  house, 
but  what  will  most  astonish  a  visitor  during  debate  is  the  won- 
derful scope  of  information  that  is  displayed  by  the  members 
of  this  legislative  body.  A  person  will  soon  become  convinced 
that  he  is  in  the  presence  of  the  most  intelligent  law-making 
assembly  in  the  world — men  of  keen  perception,  large  expe- 
rience, and  broad  views  and  progressive  ideas.  A  man  who 
follows  the  advice  of  vindictive  newspapers  and  goes  to  the 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  --.^ 

American  congress  to  find  fools,  will  come  away  with  the 
opinion  that  the  representatives  of  the  United  States  are  a 
much  abused  class  of  worthy  men.  Of  course,  we  find  an  oc- 
casional "black  sheep"  in  congress  as  we  do  in  church ;  but 
the  exception  proves  the  rule. 

"Over  in  the  senate,"  the  legislative  proceedings  are  con- 
ducted with  much  more  apparent  system  and  deliberation 
than  in  the  house..  Everything  here  is  as  quiet  and  pleasant 
as  a  parlor,  the  dignified  senators  always  keeping  their  seats 
and  none  rushing  down  to  the  center  or  crowding  around  a 
speaker  in  the  most  heated  discussion.  In  this  body,  con- 
taining only  about  one-fourth  as  many  members  as  the  house, 
there  is  no  struggling  or  jostling  to  get  the  floor  for  debate, 
but  each  senator  can  speak  whenever  the  "spirit  moves  him." 
The  galleries  of  the  senate  are  generally  more  densely  packed 
with  spectators  than  those  of  the  house,  and  principally  by 
ladies.  The  position  of  United  States  senator  for  six  years 
is  considered  one  of  the  best  offices  in  the  gift  of  the  Ameri- 
can people.  His  lease  upon  of^ce  outlives  that  of  the  presi- 
dential term  of  four  years,  and  instead  of  being  directly  in- 
debted to  the  people  for  his  position,  he  is  only  obligated  to  a 
few  leading  members  of  the  state  legislature  for  his  election, 
besides  being  the  dangerous  possessor  of  one  of  the  seventy 
odd  senatorial  votes  which  decides  the  confirmation  or  rejec- 
tion of  all  appointments  sent  in  by  the  president. 


House  oe  Representatives, 
Washington,  Feb.  24,  1872. 

Congress  to-day  is  not  in  session,  and  it  being  a  beautiful 
and  spring-like  Saturday  morning,  I  v»?ill  go  with  your  read- 
ers to  commence  our  promised  "walks  about  Washington." 
Stepping  out  of  the  door  of  the  National  Hotel,  we  find  our- 
selves in  the  midst  of  the  gay  and  social  throng  which  daily 
promenades  up  and  down  the  most  fashionable  street  in 
America — Pennsylvania  avenue. 


224  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

Although  the  commodious  street  cars  are  passing  us  every 
five  minutes,  we  will  walk  leisurely  up  the  broad,  clean  pave- 
ments, toward  the  president's  house,  in  preference  to  taking 
seats  and  riding  among  fat  colored  women,  large  market  bas- 
kets, strings  of  fish,  and  the  dread  of  smallpox. 

We  step  along  to  the  corner  of  Seventh  street,  near  the 
center  market,  where  a  long  line  of  elegant  carriages  attached 
to  silver  buckled  horses  await  the  weary  or  hurried  footmen, 
and  a  dozen  coachmen  with  upright  whips  present  themselves 
ready  to  drive  us  to  any  part  of  the  city  for  a  dollar.  But  we 
prefer  to  stroll  on  down  through  the  thronging  multitude, 
witnessing  the  bewitching  wiles  of  American  fashion.  Pass- 
ing on  along  the  broad  airy  avenue,  at  each  crossing,  we  look 
out  to  the  left  along  the  grove-arched  streets  into  the  broad 
blue  Potomac  waters,  where  slooi)s,  vessels  and  steamers  are 
floating  about  as  in  mid-summer.  But  our  Dakota  reader, 
now  by  my  side,  who  sports  a  silk  hat  and  twirls  an  attractive 
cane,  looks  not  so  much  at  the  blue  waters  on  his  left,  as  at 
the  bright  eyes  and  smiling  faces  of  the  swarms  of  passing 
ladies  that  flit  like  butterflies  on  his  vision.  Down  here  in 
this  Washington  climate  xA.merican  ladies  all  wear  a  sweet 
and  cheering  smile,  no  matter  how  sad  or  sore  the  heart 
within. 

But  we  arc  now  far  up  at  the  corner  of  Lafayette  park, 
and  we  stop  for  a  moment  to  stand  upon  the  spot  where 
Sickles  shot  Key.  The  tree  behind  which  the  assailant  and 
murdered  man  took  refuge  has  been  gradually  whittled  and 
hewed  into  the  ground  by  curious  visitors.  The  window 
from  which  the  erring  woman  flung  her  fatal  handkerchief  is 
but  a  few  yards  distant,  and  looks  out  upon  the  lovely  and 
evergreen  i^ark  of  Lafayette.  We  swing  the  iron  gate  and 
walk  through  and  around  this  enchanting  arbor  of  perennial 
green. 

Crossing  again  the  broad  avenue,  we  step  ui)on  the  smooth 
stone  pavements  leading  u])  through  the  magnificent  "Presi- 
dent's Grounds"  to  the   White  House.     Here  the  old  oaks 


,p^  \ 


SI(    r.\    IWr.l.S.    DAK'DTA,   IX    1S59.-P.    15S. 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE-  --? 

and  stately  elms  are  seen  bearing  upon  their  trunks  the  moss 
and  ivy  of  the  early  days  of  the  Revolution.  We  approach 
the  white  old  mansion,  and  are  shown  bv  the  ushers  to  the 
room  of  Colonel  Dent,  father-in-law  to  the  president,  to  whom 
we  deliver  our  card,  which  is  sent  by  a  messenger  to  the 
president's  room,  and  after  waiting-  our  turn,  we  received  the 
response.  "Admit." 

We  enter,  and  find  the  president  seated  at  the  far  end  of 
his  reception  table,  leisurely  smoking  his  favorite  "Havana." 
•He  looked  wearied  and  humble,  having  just  closed  his  usual 
morning  "inten'iews"  with  members  and  senators  before  the 
daily  assembling  of  congress.  We  briefly  pay  our  respects 
to  the  chief  magistrate  of  the  nation,  and  received  from  him 
a  smile  of  relief  and  a  fervent  hand  shake  when,  on  departing, 
we  assured  him  that  we  did  not  call  "to  apply  for  office." 
He  looked  surprised,  whiffed  his  cigar,  and  said,  "Call  again." 

We  now  stroll  down  through  the  eastern  lawn  of  the 
grounds,  passing  a  number  of  gushing  fountains  and  smooth 
grassy  mounds,  to  the  broad  stone  approach  to  the  mammoth 
treasury  building. 

Let  us  climb  the  great  granite  steps  and  enter  its  marble 
palaces  of  gold  and  greenbacks.  First  we  will  try  to  find  our 
way  to  the  office  of  the  comptrollerof  the  currency,  to  ascertain 
what  he  can  do  for  us  in  the  way  of  starting  a  national  bank 
in  Dakota.  We  pass  between  marble  pillars  standing  as  thick 
and  large  as  forest  trees,  until  we  find  at  the  entrance  a  one- 
legged  messenger  who  points  us  up  a  broad,  gas-lighted  and 
steam  heated  hall,  as  long  as  a  whole  block  of  lots  in  Yank- 
ton. We  pass  on,  witnessing  scores  of  clerks  at  work  in  the 
long  line  of  rooms  that  open  upon  either  hand,  until  we  reach 
the  other  end.  Here  we  inquire  of  another  messenger,  one- 
armed  this  time,  who  directs  us  up  the  iron  stairs  to  the  next 
floor,  and  here  we  are  met  by  a  little  old  Irishman,  with  an 
eye  shot  out  by  a  rebel  bullet,  who  points  us  down  another 
long  passage,  to  the  comptroller's  room.  On  we  go,  passing, 
as  before,  hundreds  of  clerks  busily  engaged  in  the  rooms 


2  26  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

that  open  upon  our  right  and  left.  We  find  the  comptroller 
attentively, engaged  signing  his  name  to  papers  and  a  female 
clerk  beside  him  ''blotting"  his  signatures,  and  withdrawing 
the  manuscripts. 

He  turns  to  us  for  a  moment,  and  says  that  he  has  awarded 
to  Dakota  $100,000  of  the  national  currency,  but  that  the 
parties  whom  he  had  authorized  last  summer  to  subscribe  for 
the  bank  stock  have  thus  far  failed  to  deposit  the  required  se- 
curity before  the  issue  of  notes  can  be  authorized.  We  then 
filed  the  application  of  forty  merchants  of  Yankton,  who 
agree  to  deposit  the  bonds  in  thirty  days,  if  a  charter  be  given 
them  for  the  First  National  Bank  of  Dakota.  He  takes  the 
paper,  reads  it  and  requests  us  to  call  to-morrow.  We  bow 
and  retire,  and  walk  down  the  long  aisle  past  the  multitude 
of  rooms  where  are  flying  the  lightning  fingers  and  liexile 
tongues  of  five  hundred  female  clerks  who  are  counting,  cut- 
ting, trimming,  packing  and  making,  bright,  new,  laughing 
greenbacks.  If  a  man  can  ever  believe  with  Shakespeare, 
that  "money  is  worthless  trash,"  he  will  believe  it  here,  where 
the  stuff  is  handled  and  packed  by  young  girls  as  freely  and 
abundantly  as  new  mown  hay.  But  we  must  begin  to  get 
out  of  this  great  cave  of  the  national  finances.  There  are 
too  many  ladies  and  greenbacks  here  for  the  safety  of  a  West- 
ern man,  so  we  begin  to  descend  again  the  heavy  iron  stair- 
ways to  the  marble  gold  rooms,  where  we  witness  a  number 
of  male  clerks  standing  and  counting,  by  the  wagon  load, 
filthy  lucre,  with  a  rapidity  truly  astonishing. 

Out  of  curiosity  my  friend  presents  at  the  teller's  counter 
one  of  Uncle  Sam's  twenty-dollar  promises  to  pay,  and  asks 
for  gold.  In  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  the  shining  coin  comes 
flying  at  him  like  marbles,  and  he  thrusts  the  hard  money  in 
his  pocket  and  walks  out  into  the  street,  heavier  than  before. 
But  before  we  left,  we  turned  and  glanced  at  a  government 
bondholder,  who  walks  up  to  the  paying  teller,  clips  his  cou- 
pons, draws  his  gold,  walks  leisurely  out,  steps  into  his  ele- 
gant carriage,  and  drives  home  to  live  in  luxury  upon  the 
interest  of  his  money. 


SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  227 

But  it  is  now  "high  noon."  and  I  must  part  with  your 
readers  while  I  go  to  take  my  ''contested"  seat  in  the  "House 
on  the  Hill."  In  our  next  letter  we  will  resume  our  "walks 
about  Washington,"  and  will  continue  from  week  to  week 
until  your  readers  become  fully  acquainted  with  "Life  and 
Scenes  in  Congress." 


House  of  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C.  March  5,  1872. 
Since  my  last  letter,  Washington  has  been  visited  l)y  the 
heaviest  snowstorm  of  the  season.  On  Saturday  last  the 
wind  and  storm  came  pouring  down  from  the  north  with  a 
fury  almost  equal  to  that  of  a  real  Dakota  blizzard.  The 
street  cars  were  so  blockaded  by  snow  and  crowded  with 
people  that  snow  plows  were  brought  out,  drawn  by  four 
horses,  and  it  was  with  great  dif^culty  that  the  track  was 
kept  open  through  the  day  for  the  passage  of  cars  along  the 
broad  and  beautiful  avenues.  A  very  few  members  of  either 
house  were  courageous  enough  to  venture  out  and  weather 
the  storm  up  to  the  capital.  It  was  a  great  day  for  letter 
writing,  wire  working  and  hot  punches.  Men  with  the  blues 
looked  from  their  hotel  windows  and  muttered,  "What  a  ter- 
rible day,"  women  drew  their  easy  chairs  close  to  the  spark- 
ling coal  fire,  looked  out  into  the  cold,  snowy  street  and 
murmured  "pity  the  poor."  The  jolly  lobbyist  swallowed  his 
hot  whisky,  and  grunted  out,  "Let  her  storm."  The  poor 
half-clad  newsboy  drew  his  neck  into  his  shoulders,  and  with 
arms  thrust  into  his  flimsy  pants,  he  runs  and  screams, 
''Morning  Chronicle."  Nobody  stops  to  finger  his  pennies  for 
a  morning  paper.  The  bootblacks  throw  aside  their  brush 
and  box,  and  join  in  the  "shovel  brigade,"  for  the  cleaning  of 
sidewalks  and  doorsteps.  Five  hundred  female  clerks  set  out 
for  the  department,  and  on  entering  the  streets  they  lift  their 
dainty  dresses  and  run  a  thousand  little  gaiters  into  the  deep 


228  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

cold  snow  and  exclaim,  "Horrid!"  Nearly  all  day  the  storm 
kept  on  with  unabated  severity,  until  the  warm  sun  looked 
out  over  the  city  toward  evening,  when  out  burst  upon  the 
avenues  a  cavalcade  of  lovely  sleighs  and  prancing  steeds, 
with  merry  chiming  bells,  laughing  maidens,  dashing  "swells," 
and  whole  families  of  young  and  old,  gliding  over  the  soft 
level  snow  of  this  southern  climate.  Evening  draws  her  veil 
and  the  moon  smiles  out  over  the  white  shrouded  city,  which 
studded  with  darkening  evergreens  and  specked  with  the  long 
lines  of  twinkhng  gaslights,  resembles  a  spirit  land,  where  the 
ringing  laugh  of  joy  breaks  on  the  ear. 

Sunday  morning  in  ^^''ashington  opened  with  a  clear,  soft 
sky  and  balmy  breeze,  and  early  in  the  day  the  snow  began 
to  melt,  and  water  to  run  in  the  streets.  The  beautiful  chime 
of  bells  on  Metropolitan  Church  ring  out  over  the  city  to  call 
the  people  to  the  great  temple  of  worship.  These  bells  peal 
forth  the  old  familiar  church  tunes  with  as  much  precision  of 
note  and  tune  as  is  given  by  the  most  experienced  singer. 

Soon  is  seen  the  long  lines  of  church-going  assemblages 
wending  their  respective  ways  to  their  favorite  places  of  wor- 
ship. The  Metropolitan  is  the  "popular"  church  of  the  city, 
being  the  one  where  the  president  goes  to  atone  for  his  weekly 
sins.  This  church  is  presided  over  by  Dr.  Newman,  chap- 
lain of  the  senate  and  the  religious  tutor  of  the  chief  magis- 
trate of  the  nation.  Here,  also,  in  this  sacred  temple  of  wor- 
ship, is  where  the  Washington  ladies  go  to  learn  the  latest 
fashions  of  hat,  dress  and  jewels,  and  to  peep  at  each  other 
jealously  over  their  gilt-edge  book  lids,  and  to  lean  their 
prayerful  brows  on  diamond  fingers,  and  while  thinking  of 
the  next  ball  at  the  president's,  they  whisper,  "amen!"  in 
church.  Money  goes  a  great  way  here  toward  making  re-i 
ligion,  and  the  person  who  throws  pretty  heavily  upon  the 
silver  plate  of  a  Sunday  is  quite  sure  of  receiving  the  benedic- 
tion of,  "Well  done,  thou  good  and  faithful  servant,  enter  thou 
into  the  fold  of  this  church."  A  long  array  of  elegant  carriages 
is  hired  to  follow  these  silken  Christians  to  their  last  home, 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRK.  --9 

and  the  papers  record  a  "falling  star"  from  the  firmament  of 
piety,  virtue  and  Christian  example.  Church  closes,  the  great 
organ  rolls  forth  its  thrilling  tones  like  the  thunders  of 
heaven,  and  the  gay  audience  pours  out  into  the  street  fol- 
lowed by  the  minister's  Avords :  "The  Lord  be  with  you.  now 
and  forever." 

From  here  we  go  down  to  dinner  at  the  National  Hotel. 
We  enter  the  historical  old  mansion,  and  pass  through  the 
low  halls  once  honored  as  the  Washington  home  of  Clay, 
Webster  and  Calhoun,  and  since  noted  as  the  resort  of  Wilkes 
Booth,  the  assassin  'of  President  Lincoln.  As  we  pass  down 
the  long  dining-room,  at  a  small  table  on  our  left,  we  are  at- 
tracted by  the  face  of  Hon.  David  Davis,  recent  nominee  for 
president  by  the  Labor  Reform  Convention.  Near  by  sits 
Hon.  Alex.  Ramsey,  the  genial  senator  from  Minnesota,  din- 
ing cheerily  with  his  handsome  wife  and  lovely  daughter. 
But  as  we  pass  along  we  find  upon  our  right  and  left  many 
members  of  congress,  newspaper  men,  lady  correspondents, 
female  clerks,  bridal  parties,  long-faced  office  seekers,  jovial 
lobbyists,  and  white  aproned  colored  waiters.  Here  again,  as 
in  church,  we  find  the  ladies  dressed  for  the  occasion.  Dia- 
monds, ribbons,  silks,  paints,  and  perfumes  adorn  the  ladies 
who  dine  at  the  National.  W^e  wait  fifteen  minutes  for  our 
dinner,  and  when  it  comes  we  devour  it  in  ten,  and  pass  out 
of  the  hall  to  take  our  usual  walk.  We  stroll  leisurely  down 
the  avenue,  and  cross  over  through  the  soft  white  snow  to  the 
perennial  greenhouse  in  the  botanical  garden.  We  step  from 
the  snow-covered  park  or  lawn  into  the  ^reen,  flowering  and 
fragrant  garden  of  midsummer,  roofed  with  glass  and  heated 
by  steam.  Plants,  flowers  and  shrubs  from  all  parts  of  the 
globe  here  flourish  in  climatic  glory.  Oranges  and  lemons 
hang  pendant  over  the  narrow  walks,  and  bewitching  blos- 
soms entice  the  visitor  on  down  the  long  green  aisles,  like 
lilies  by  the  brookside.  Bouquets  are  here  plucked  daily 
through  the  dead  of  winter.  We  break  a  single  rose  and 
"depart  in  peace." 


230       sketches  of  congress  and  western  empire. 

House  of  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C,  Alarch  9,  1872. 

This  morning  we  will  resume  our  usual  "walks  about 
W  ashington''  by  visiting  the  departments  of  the  government 
on  business  relating  to  Dakota.  Emerging  from  the  east  wing 
of  the  capitol  we  pass  between  colossal  pillars  of  marble  and 
descend  down  a  whole  acre  of  broad  granite  steps  to  the  clean 
and  inviting  cars  of  the  F  street  horse  railway. 

We  pay  seven  cents  for  our  tickets,  and  the  wheels  of  our 
car  roll  on  down  by  the  Baltimore  depot,  where  we  witness 
a  great  rush  of  passengers,  hacks  and  carriages  hurr^ang  to 
and  from  this  great  center  of  travel,  where  eight  passenger 
trains  arrive  and  depart  every  twenty-four  hours.  Here  our 
car  halts  and  is  rapidly  filled  up  by  the  incoming  passengers, 
and  we  are  crowded  close  down  into  the  corner  by  a  smiling 
and  talkative  widow,  who  informs  us  that  "she  lost  her  hus- 
band in  the  war,  and  has  come  to  Washington  for  a  pension." 
She  asks  me  if  I  am  a  member  of  congress ;  I  answer  that  1 
am  guilty  of  being  a  delegate,  but  have  no  vote.  She  smiles 
and  asks  for  my  influence,  and  I  reply  that  I  have  none.  She 
smiles  again  sweetly,  and  asks  if  I  am  married.  I  answer, 
"Engaged."  By  this  time  we  have  rolled  along  up  to  the  City 
Hall  park,  and  our  lady  snaps  the  car  bell  and  trips  lightly 
ofif  to  call  upon  a  pension  claim  agent  in  "Lawyer's  Block," 

A  few  minutes  more  and  we  are  halted  at  the  corner  of 
Seventh  street,  between  the  mammoth  marble  buildings 
known  respectively  as  the  interior  and  postoffice  departments. 
We  alight,  and  en^r  the  great  building  on  our  left,  through 
the  city  postoffice  division,  where  crowds  of  anxious  people 
are  reading  the  hanging  list  of  "advertised  letters" ;  others 
are  rushing  in  and  hastily  dropping  letters  in  the  boxes  la- 
beled respectively  "East,"  "West,"  "South,"  while  scores  of 
ladies  with  furtive  glance  and  elastic  step  dart  constantly  up 
to  the  "city  box,"  and  deposit  innumerable  little  tinted  enve- 
lopes. Then  comes  thundering  up  and  rushing  into  the  base- 
ment of  the  building  great  wagon  loads  of  congressional  mail 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRI..  23  ' 

bags,  which  are  shipped,  l)y  the  hundred  tons,  daily  tlirr)u,<^h- 
out  the  country. 

We  ascend  to  the  second  floor,  and  find  ourselves  in  the 
midst  of  the  postmaster  general's  department,  where  a  mul- 
titude of  clerks  are  busily  engaged  arranging  and  adjusting 
the  different  mail  routes,  postoffice  contracts,  and  servicQ 
throughout  the  country.  Here  we  find  the  same  array  of 
messengers — mostly  one-armed  or  one-legged — by  whom 
strangers  are  directed  to  the  different  rooms,  or  divisions, 
where  will  be  found  the  clerk  having  in  charge  the  particular 
business  upon  which  information  is  desired. 

Then  we  are  pointed  down  the  long  hall  to  room  62, 
where  we  find  the  head  clerk  of  the  appointment  division  for 
Dakota.  He  receives  us  politely,  and  we  file  with  him  papers 
asking  for  the  establishment  of  new  postoffices  and  the  ap- 
pointment of  postmasters  at  Scotland,  Milltown,  Rockport, 
Turnerville,  Saint  Olafe,  Medary;  also,  a  couple  of  offices  in 
the  Red  River  valley.  These  requests  are  all  readily  granted 
and  the  necessary  notices  delivered. 

But  we  have  not  yet  reached  the  most  important  division 
for  Dakota,  the  place  where  difficulties  are  encountered  in 
securing  mail  facilities  for  the  territory.  We  pass  around  up 
a  long  hall  and  down  another,  and  arrive  at  room  20,  where 
we  find  the  head  clerk  of  the  contract  division  of  Dakota. 
We  pull  from  our  coat  pocket  a  petition  of  300  settlers,  ask- 
ing that  mail  service  up  the  Vermillion  river  be  increased  to 
three  times  a  week.  The  clerk  puts  his  hand  into  a  pigeon 
hole  and  "draws  the  record"  on  us,  showing  that  the  govern- 
ment is"  now  paying  over  $400  a  year  for  carrying  the  mail 
trom  Vermillion  to  Swan  Lake  once  a  week,  and  receives  in 
return  less  than  fifty  dollars  a  year  as  the  proceeds  of  the  route. 
We  now  come  at  him  again  with  another  petition  and  a  leg- 
islative memorial,  asking  for  tri-weekly  mail  service  up  the 
Sioux  Valley  to  Sioux  Falls.  He  pulls  from  another  more 
fatal  pigeon-hole  papers  showing  that  the  government  is  now 
paying-  over  $1,000  more  than  the  proceeds  of  the  route  for 


2  32  SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

carrying  the  present  semi-weekly  mail  from  Elk  Point  to 
Sioux  Falls ;  and  he  then  reminds  us  that  a  daily  mail  is  now 
being  carried  from  Sioux  City  to  Yankton,  sixty  miles,  for 
one  cent  a  year. 

He.  however,  acknowledges  that  new  mail  routes  in  the 
territories  are  seldom  remunerative  to  the  government,  and 
that  with  the  opening  of  spring  and  the  commencement  of 
immigration  he  would  readjust  the  business  of  the  postofTices, 
and  give  to  each  of  the  above  routes  one  additional  trip  per 
week.  ' 

We  now  very  forcibl}-  flatter  ourselves  that  we  can  ac- 
complish more  by  going  directly  to  headquarters  and  making 
the  request.  \\"e  therefore  rapidly  pace  back  through  the 
long  broad  hall,  and  drop  in  on  the  postmaster  general,  and 
present  our  case  and  our  petitions.  He  strikes  a  bell  and 
calls  in  the  second  assistant  postmaster  general,  who  has  en- 
tire charge  of  the  "Service  Division"  of  the  United  States. 
We  are  transferred  to  the  charge  of  this  second  assistant,  who 
conducts  us  back  again  into  his  room,  where  he  strikes  an- 
other bell,  sends  a  message,  and  to  our  mortification,  in  a  few 
moments  appears  before  us  the  very  clerk  of  the  "Dakota 
division"  with  whom  we  had  first  labored.  The  assistant 
postmaster  general  says  to  him,  "Examine  this  case  and  re- 
port." The  clerk  responds  that  he  has  investigated  the  mat- 
ter, and  finds  that  the  proceeds  of  the  of^ce  along  the  routes 
\vill  not,  at  present,  warrant  the  expense  of  an  increase  of 
service ;  but  that,  acting  upon  the  prospects  of  an  increase  of 
postal  business  in  the  early  spring,  tri-weekly  mail  can  be  or- 
dered during  the  month  of  April. 

We.  will  now  pass  do^yn  and  cross  over  the  street  to  the 
interior  department,  for  the  purpose  of  attending  to  some 
Dakota  business  in  the  general  land  oflice. 

Ascending  the  broad  granite  approaches  to  the  second 
floor,  we  pass  into  the  great  arena,  turn  to  our  left,  and  feel 
at  home,  as  we  walk  down  the  wide  aisle  to  the  bureau  of 
lands,  homesteads  and  surveys.    We  find  the  commissioner  as 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  -33 

busily  engaged  at  his  desk  as  any  one  of  the  numerous  clerks 
in  his  department.  He  can  tell  us  more  about  matters  in  his 
bureau  without  ringing  a  bell  than  any  other  officer  I  have 
met  in  Washington,  He  informs  us  all  about  land  offices  and 
land  districts  in  Dakota,  the  extent  of  surveys  made,  the. 
amount  of  prairie  land,  our  want  of  railroads,  and  the  number 
of  homestead  iand  preemption  claims  taken  in  the  territory 
since  our  organization  in  1861.  We  make  inc|uiry  about  the 
status  of  certain  land  contests  in  Dakota  and  the  issue  of 
patents,  and  he  directs  us  down  another  long  aisle  to  the  chief 
clerk  of  the  preemption  and  homestead  division.  We  here 
find  the  clerks  of  this  department  over-worked  and  behind  in 
business.  Contested  cases  which  were  sent  on  from  Dakota 
nearly  a  year  ago  have  not  yet  been  reached,  and  but  very 
few  patents  have  been  issued  upon  lands  entered  and  paid  for 
in  the  year  1870.  The  clerical  force  in  the  land  department 
is  far  too  small  for  the  prompt  discharge  of  the  enormoirs 
amount  of  business  which  daily  accumulates  upon  their  hands. 
A  bill  is  pending  before  congress  to  appropriate  money  for 
an  increase  of  clerks  in  this  department. 

The  homestead  and  preemption  settlers  of  Dakota  must 
not  b'ecome  impatient  at  any  seeming  delay  in  the  adjustment 
of  their  claims  at  the  general  land  office.  The  commissioner 
has  decided  that  the  receipt  for  the  lands  entered  is  as  valid 
as  a  patent.  We  will  conclude  our  department  visits  in  the 
next  week's  letter. 


House  pE  Reim^esentatives, 
Washington,  D.  C,  March  16,  1872. 

Before  proceeding  with  our  usual  walk  about  the  capital 
city  this  morning,  I  trust  I  shall  be  pardoned  for  making  a 
passing  allusion  to  the  disagreeable  contest  now  being  waged 
by  my  two  competitors  for  the  seat  that  I  occupy  as  repre- 
sentative from  Dakota.     The  case  has  l^een  heard  before  the 


2  34  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

committee  on  elections,  and  the  evidence  and  arguments  have 
all  been  submitted.  The  committee  will  report  to  the  house 
in  April.  1  have  no  cause  to  fear  the  result,  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  the  Dakotan  is  assailing  me  persistently,  and  en- 
deavoring to  make  up  a  newspaper  decision  of  the  matter  in 
favor  of  its  candidate,  Dr.  Burleigh,  before  the  committee  has 
reported.  Mr.  Spink  has  conducted  his  contest  against  me 
in  every  respect  like  an  honorable  man,  relying  strictly  upon 
law  and  e\idence,  instead  of  resorting  to  froth,  wine  and 
anon3'mous  newspaper  buncombe.  The  only  annoyance  this 
contest  causes  me  is  the  time  and  attention  that  it  costs  me 
to  defend  myself  against  an  unjust  conflict  here  and  the  more 
personal  attacks  of  the  Dakotan  at  home.  I  call  it  unjust  for 
the  reason  that  my  contestants  are  now  endeavoring  to  throw 
out  voting  precincts  which  were  established  by  themselves. 
But  I  shall  protect  myself  against  all  these,  and  come  out 
unharmed;  yet  the  people  and  the  territory  must  lose  the 
time  and  services  that  I  am  compelled  to  give  to  this  personal 
defense  of  my  rights  as  a  representative. 

The  contest  has  already  occupied  the  most  important 
working  days  of  the  present  session,  and  business  is  now  so 
crowding  upon  the  house  that  it  will  require  constant  and 
vigilant  action  to  secure  the  passage  of  any  measure  for  the 
benefit  of  the  territory  before  the  adjournment  of  congress. 
I  simply  ask  the  people  to  bear  with  me,  and  not  to  be  hasty 
in  their  judgment.  I  hope  to  be  able  to  secure  the  passage 
of  the  bill  to  give  to  Dakota  her  internal  improvement  lands ; 
also,  the  bill  to  reimburse  the  territory  for  expenses  of  her 
Indian  wars:  the  bills  to  open  the  Black  Hills,  to  establish  a 
new  land  ofilice  at  the  capitol  of  the  territory,  and  to  extend 
the  time  for  preemption  payments.  These  measures  may  all 
fail  if  delayed  another  month  unless  they  can  be  engrafted 
onto  some  omnibus  bill  during  the  closing  weeks  of  the  ses- 
sion. The  Dakota  Southern  Railroad  bonds  have  received 
the  approval  of  the  respective  committees  in  the  senate  and 
house,  but  must  await  the  day  assigned  for  reports. 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRK.  2.^5 

We  will  now  go  with  your  readers  to  call  on  the  secretary 
of  the  interior,  and  consult  with  him  in  regard  to  the  project 
of  opening  the  Black  Hills  region  to  the  white  people  for  the 
purpose  of  mining  and  lumbering.  Fortunately  we  find  him 
in  company  with  his  subordinate  oi^cer,  the  commissioner  of 
Indian  affairs,  and  the  eminent  United  States  geologist,  Dr. 
Hayden. 

The  secretary  has,  we  soon  learn,  been  already  apprised 
of  the  new  gold  excitement,  and  of  the  expeditions  organizing 
in  the  \A'est  to  penetrate  the  Black  Hills  Indian  country,  now 
so  jealously  guarded  by  the  red  men  as  their  long  favored  re- 
sorts and  hunting  grounds.  The  enthusiastic  Dr.  Hayden 
immediately  joins  in  the  conversation  to  attest  his  knowledge 
of  the  mineral  fields  in  the  Black  Hills,  and  of  the  vast  pine 
forests  that  abound  there,  and  claims  that  it  is  due  to  the 
settlers  of  the  ^^^est  that  some  means  be  provided  that  access 
can  be  obtained  to  a  land  so  rich  in  its  forests  and  minerals. 
The  secretary  of  interior  and  commissioner  of  Indian  affairs 
do  not  take  so  favorable  a  view  of  the  matter,  but  declare  that 
the  government  must  stand  by  its  faith  with  the  Indians^  for 
whom  that  region  has  been  set  apart  as  a  reserve,  and  that 
no  formidable  expedition  of  white  men  will  be  sustained  by 
the  United  States  government  in  any  invasion  of  this  home 
of  the  red  men,  for  the  purposes  of  mining  operations  or  the 
manufacture  of  lumber,  unless  the  Indians  will  first  consent 
to  alienate  their  claim  or  remove  to  some  other  locality. 

The  secretary  expressed  himself  as  having  no  objection  to 
the  provisions  of  the  bill  now  pending  before  congress,  au- 
thorizing him  to  "perfect  such  negotiations  with  such  Indian 
tribes  as  will  secure  to  the  white  settlers  the  right  to  enter  the 
Black  Hills,  occupy  the  streams,  and  erect  mills  for  the  pur- 
pose of  mining  and  the  manufacture  and  transportation  of 
lumber." 

But  his  opinion  is  it  would  better  suit  the  Indians  to  have 
the  travel  and  transportation  to  and  from  that  country  follow 
but  one  route,  and  to  confine  the  base  of  operations  for  min- 
ing and  lumbering  within  certain  prescribed  limits  or  valleys. 


236  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

W'e  will  now  pass  on  down  the  hall  to  apply  for  a  patent 
for  a  "spring  seat,"  a  model  of  which  has  been  sent  me  by 
the  inventor  from  Bonhomnie.  The  commissioner  smiles  as 
I  present  the  little  painted  seat,  and  he  asks  if  it  is  "con- 
tested." I  reply  that  I  always  carry  my  "contested  seat"  with 
me,  but  that  I  do  not  consider  it  a  "model"  worthy  of  a  pat- 
ent. W'e  file  the  "spring-seat  model,"  and  are  informed  that 
a  patent  therefor  will  be  given  upon  complying  with  the  print- 
ed instructions  handed  us.  We  now  step  to  the  upper  floor, 
and  stroll  along  the  broad  aisles  of  the  patent  bureau,  where 
we  witness  on  either  hand  racks,  like  corn-cribs,  loaded  with 
beautiful  miniature  models  of  every  conceivable  invention 
ever  devised  by  the  prolific  genius  of  mankind.  The  great 
chamber,  covering  a  whole  block,  groans  beneath  its  bewil- 
dering sea  of  mechanism. 

The  visitor  here  will  almost  believe  that  the  world  is  run 
by  patent  machinery,  and  that  life  is  sustained  by  patent  med- 
icines. I  began  to  feel  patent  all  over :  I  felt  like  a  man  with 
a  patent  heart,  a  patent  head,  and  a  "patent  seat,"  living  in 
a  patent  world.  The  commissioner  told  us  that  he  had  re- 
ceived applications  for  "patent  rights"  to  everything  on  earth 
but  babies  and  politicians ;  the  first  he  said  couldn't  be  "mod- 
eled" and  the  second  couldn't  be  "imitated."  I  told  him  I 
didn't  like  his  applications,  and  on  retiring  he  assured  us  that 
our  "spring-seat"  shall  be  "patented." 

Since  my  last  letter  the  dark-skinned  "Japs"  have  had  a 
pubHc  reception  on  the  floor  of  the  house  of  representatives. 
Speaker  Blaine  delivered  the  reception  remarks,  and  the 
leader  of  the  Japanese  delegation  responded  in  a  language 
more  horrible  than  that  of  the  Sioux  Indians  of  Dakota.  The 
galleries,  lobby  rooms  and  corridors  were  crowded  with  curi- 
ous spectators,  and,  by  resolution,  ladies  were  admitted  to  the 
floor.  I  stepped  down  to  the  front  but  a  minute  to  look  the 
"Japs"  in  the  eye,  and  shake  hands  Avith  them,  and  on  my 
return  I  found  a  blushing  maiden  in  my  seat.  She  filled  it 
well,  and  kept  it,  too.     I  bit  my  lips  and  muttered,  "Good 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  A\D  WESTERN'  EMPIRE.  2^7 

Lord!  another  contestant!"  I  was  struck  with  the  curiosity 
of  American  women, — some  were  standing  upon  chairs  to 
look  over  the  heads  of  others  and  see  the  little  dwarfed,  dark 
Japanese. 

At  a  grand  reception  recently  g^ven  by  the  "Japs,"  at  the 
Arlington,  many  visitors  got  mixed  up  in  the  crowd  and  came 
away  swearing  about  the  loss  of  overcoat,  hat  and  "reputa- 
tion." 


House  oe  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C,  March  25,  1872. 

I  am  induced  to  believe  that  I  cannot  better  interest  your 
readers  this  week  than  to  devote  the  present  letter  to  giving 
a  few  pen  pictures  of  some  of  the  prominent  senators  and 
members  of  congress.  During  the  recent  great  debate  in 
the  senate,  over  the  investigation  into  the  frauds  and  abuses 
of  the  government,  the  galleries,  lobbies,  corridors  and  pas- 
sageways were  crowded  with  curious  and  excited  spectators. 
Even  the  senate  flloor  itself  was  yielded  to  make  room  for  the 
presence  of  ladies.  We  enter  the  chamber,  and  with  difficulty 
find  standing  room  to  listen  to  the  great  speech  of  Senator 
Schurz,  who  is  one  of  the  most  accomplished  and  eloquent 
orators  in  the  senate.  He  is  a  tall,  lean  man,  with  shaggy, 
red  whiskers  and  a  pair  of  eyeglasses  perched  upon  his  classic 
nose.  He  stands  near  the  middle  of  the  senate  chamber,  and 
his  brilliant  accents,  with  but  little  effort  on  his  part,  fall  upon 
the  ears  of  the  remotest  auditor  in  the  vast  assemblage.  His 
elocution  and  utterance  of  distinct  syllables  is  as  faultless  and 
effective  as  the  efforts  of  the  most  renowned  tragedian. 

In  a  moment  of  one  of  his  impassioned  bursts  of  elo- 
quence, his  face  turns  as  white  as  maible,  and  his  quivering 
fingers  raised  high  in  air  send  an  electric  thrill  through  the 
listening  throng.  Hear  him  as  he  hurls  the  following  decla- 
rations of  defiance  at  the  head  of  the  government: 

Let  it  be  known  in  every  nook  and  corner  of  this  land,  let  the  news 
go  forth  all  over  the  vast  boundaries  of  this  Republic,  that  he  who  is  in 


238  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

earnest,  setting  his  face  against  those  in  power  with  fearless  purpose  to 
detect  fraud,  to  punish  violations  of  the  law,  has  by  "the  powers  that  be" 
opened  to  him  the  prospect  of  a  dungeon!  Why,  sir,  I  never  thought 
that  the  administration  was  in  a  condition  quite  so  desperate. 

No  man  owns  the  German-American  citizens  of  this  country.  No 
politician  owns  them,  no  senator  does;  but  least  of  all  are  the  Ger- 
mans of  this  country  owned  by  that  class  of  politicians  who  desperately 
cling  to  the  skirt  of  power  through  whatever  mire  it  may  drag  them. 
Least  of  all  do  they  belong  to  that  class  of  politicians  who  are  ready  to 
cover  up  any  abuse,  to  justify  any  wrong,  when  the  discoverj',  however 
useful  to  the  public  interest,  might  displease  the  administration  or  injure 
the  party.  Least  of  all  do  they  belong  to  those  politicians  who  will  sacri- 
fice truth  and  right,  and  justice,  and  honor,  and  public  interest  to  the 
mer^  advantage  of  a  party. 

Senator  Morton  replies  to  Senator  Schurz  with  his  usual 
vigor  and  fearlessness.  He  occupies  a  seat  immediately  in 
front  of  the  presiding  officer,  and  he  speaks  while  sitting, 
being  so  disabled  in  his  limbs  as  to  prohibit  his  standing  un- 
aided by  supports.  He  is  a  large,  well  formed  man,  with  a 
bald  but  well  balanced  head,  a  full,  clear  eye.  an  intelligent 
and  determined  countenance.  He  strikes  back  lustily,  and 
deals  heavy  blows  at  the  "enemies  of  the  administration," 
aiming  his  remarks  at  Schurz,  Sumner  and  Trumbull,  declar- 
ing that  his  own  courage  for  the  right  exceeds  that  of  the 
German  senator,  for  the  reason  that  he  (Morton)  "dares  to 
defend  an  honest  president,  when  to  assail  is  more  popular 
with  the  lovers  of  rhetoric." 

Senator  Conkling  next  comes  to  the  rescue  of  the  admin- 
istration, and  with  loud,  clear,  distinct,  stentorian  tones,  he 
proceeds  like  a  lawyer  in  defense  of  his  client.  The  senator 
is  a  tall,  straight,  fashionable  and  handsome  man.  He  parts 
his  "auburn  hair"  with  much  precision,  is  fastidious  to  a  fault, 
and  at  once  impresses  the  stranger  as  a  man  of  too  much 
exquisite  nicety  to  become  a  heavy  power  in  the  scale  of 
statesmanship. 

But  over  to  the  rear  of  Schurz  sits  the  immortal  statesman 
of  New  England,  Senator  Sumner.  He  is  a  large,  portly 
gentleman,  plainly  and  almost  carelessly  attired,  with  large 
head,  projecting  eye-brows,  sallow  complexion,  and    heavy, 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  2  39 

dark,  flowing  locks.  His  desk  is  piled  with  law  books,  and 
his  chair  is  hemmed  in  with  official  reports  and  authorities. 
During  the  preceding  debate  he  has  l)een  watching  with  ap- 
proving eye  the  terrific  assault  of  Senator  Schurz  upon  the 
misrule  of  the  administration.  Mr.  Sumner's  great  speeches 
are  all  delivered  by  him  from  written  manuscript,  and  his 
deep,  full  voice  rolls  over  the  senate  chamber  like  the  tones  of 
an  organ.  His  great  speeches  have  been  compared  to  the  dis- 
charge of  a  heavy  cannon  whose  reports  lift  the  hanging  fog 
from  the  scene  of  battle. 

In  front  and  to  the  right  of  Mr.  Sumner  sits  Senator 
Trumbull,  who  also  arraigns  the  president  at  the  bar  of  jus- 
tice. He  appears  as  cold  and  solenm  as  a  marble  statue.  His 
face  is  wrinkled  and  apparently  l)eardless.  He  nc\'er  smiles, 
never  hurries,  and  it  is  said  that  he  has  no  blood  in  him,  but 
lives  upon  law  books  and  the  constitution.  He  is  acknowl- 
edged as  the  ablest  lawyer  on  the  floor  of  the  senate.  His 
arguments  are  hard  and  dry,  exhaustive  and  destructive.  He 
speaks  with  riveting  earnestness,  and  without  notes,  and  when 
thoroughly  warmed  up  his  whole  frame  trembles  like  an  aspen 
leaf.  His  speeches  always  carry  with  them  the  resistless  con- 
viction to  his  hearers,  that  the  senator  is  thoroughly  in  ear- 
nest and  sincere  in  the  views  that  he  enunciates. 

We  will  now  pass  over  to  the  other  wing  and  look  in  upon 
the  debates  of  the  house  of  representatives,  which  has  been 
called  by  a  Washington  paper  "the  cave  of  the  winds." 

Mr.  Voorhees,  in  the  house,  is  addressins;  that  bodv  in  one 
of  his  most  eloquent  strains  on  the  wrongs  and  sufferings 
imposed  on  the  unfortunate  South.  But  few  speakers  are  able 
to  command  the  attention  of  this  noisy  and  turbulent  body, 
and  Mr.  Voorhees  is  one  of  that  favored  few.  He  is  of  stately 
and  noble  figure,  and  possesses  a  clear,  mellow  and  musical 
voice,  and  delivers  himself  with  thrilling  earnestness  and  bril- 
liant rhetoric. 

Mr.  Voorhees  is  a  great  criminal  lawyer,  and  his  speeches 
before  the  house  bear  the  impress  of  a  desperate  plea  for  life 


240  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AXD  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

before  a  penal  jury.  He  strikes  the  responsive  chord  of  sym- 
pathy, and  his  whole  auditors  tremble  with  listening  silence. 
Hear  him  as  he  pours  forth  the  following  startling  plea  in 
behalf  of  the  unfortunate  South: 

From  turret  to  foundation  you  tore  down  the  government  of  eleven 
states.  You  left  not  one  stone  upon  another.  You  rent  all  their  local 
laws  and  machinery  into  fragments,  and  trampled  upon  their  ruins.  Not 
a  vestige  of  their  former  construction  remained.  Their  pillars,  their 
rafters,  their  beams,  and  all  their  deep-laid  corners,  the  work  of  a  wise 
and  devoted  generation  of  the  ])ast.  were  all  drr.gged  away,  and  the  sites 
where  they  once  stood  left  naked  for  the  erection  of  new  and  different 
structures.  You  removed  the  rubbish,  pushed  the  army  into  the  vacant 
ground,  established  provisional  government  as  you  would  over  territory 
just  acquired  by  conquest  from  a  foreign  power,  and  clothed  brigadiers 
and  major-generals  with  extraordinary  functions  as  governors.  You 
purged  the  ballot-box  of  the  intelligence  and  virtue  on  which  alone  popu- 
lar liberty  can  be  founded,  and  you  have  admitted  in  their  stead  the 
suffrage  of  the  most  ignorant  and  unqualified  race  now  inhabiting  the 
globe.  You  winnowed  the  thrashing  floor,  but  you  rejected  the  wheat. 
You  accepted  the  tares  and  sowed  them,  and  now  you  curse  the  soil 
because  you  have  reaped  nothing  but  tares  for  your  harvest.  You  built 
up  a  foundation  of  shifting  sand,  and  now  you  rail  at  everybody  but 
yourselves  because  the  house  has  not  resisted  the  winds  and  the  rains 
that  have  beat  upon  it.  When  the  conventions  met  they  represented  the 
wretched  constituency  which  spoke  them  into  existence,  and  they  went 
to  their  servile  tasks  with  the  bayonet  of  the  federal  government  at  their 
throats. 

Even  the  sacred  instincts  of  human  nature  became  disqualifications 
for  office.  The  ties  of  kindred  were  made  criminal  under  this  new  and 
revolting  system.  He  who  gave  a  cup  of  cold  water  to  his  thirsty  and 
famished  son,  under  arms  for  a  cause  which  he  believed  to  be  right,  and 
for  which  he  was  willing  to  die,  was  branded  with  dishonor  and  driven 
out  from  the  councils  of  his  countrymen.  The  loving  mother  who  shelt- 
ered her  weary  and  wounded  boy,  laid  him  in  his  own  familiar  bed  at 
home  once  more,  kissed  his  feverish  lips,  wiped  away  the  gathering  dews 
of  death,  and  with  a  broken  heart  closed  his  dear  eyes  forever,  was  con- 
demned for  these  acts  of  angelic  ministering,  and  incurred  the  penalties 
of  confiscation.  He  who  dismounted  and  gave  his  horse  to  a  brother  in 
the  moment  of  danger  and  close  pursuit;  the  sister  who  wrought  and  sent 
clothing  to  him  on  the  toilsome  march;  the  maiden  who  prayed  for  her 
lover  as  he  lay  dying  in  the  Wilderness  or  at  Stone  River,  all  fell  under 
a  common  curse. 

Sir,  shall  a  people  thus  bereft  of  every  attribute  of  self-government  be 
held  responsible  at  the  bar  of  public  opinion  or  at  the  judgment-seat  of 
God  for  the  consequences  which  have  overtaken  them?     If  so,  then  the 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WI- STERN  EMPIRE.  24  I 

<'octrine  of  free  agency  in  measuring  the  accountability  of  man  is  a 
snare  and  a  delusion.  As  well  miyht  you  go  to  the  galky-slavc  and  accuse 
hmi  of  the  misrule  and  the  tyranny  which  chained  him  to  the  oar  As 
well  might  you  denounce  the  banished  exile  in  the  snows  of  Siberia  for 
the  despotism  of  the  Russian  czar.  With  the  same  propriety  you  may 
visit  the  prisons  of  all  lands  and  rail  at  their  inmates  through  their  iron- 
grated  windows  on  account  01  the  evil  .administration  of  the  governments 
10  which  they  belong. 

During-  the  delivery  of  the  al)ove  l)iirst  of  elof|iicnce  the 
house  was  as  still  as  a  church. 

Further  pen  pictures  of  prominent  nienihers  in  debate  will 
1)6  given  in  a  future  letter. 


House  of  Representatives. 
Washington,  D.  C,  April  i,  1872. 

We  will  continue  in  our  present  letter  a  few  remaining  pen 
pictures  of  leading  members  of  the  house  of  representatives. 

Representative  Dawes,  of  Massachusetts,  is  the  acknowb 
edged  leader  of  the  Republican  majority  in  the  house.  He 
IS  at  the  head  of  the  Avays  and  means  committee,  and  during 
last  congress  was  chairman  of  the  committee  on  appropria"^ 
tions,  and  has  been  successively  reelected  by  his  devoted  con- 
stituents for  the  past  fifteen  years. 

He  is  by  no  means  a  pleasing  or  elofjuent  speaker,  but  he 
has  won  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  fellow  members  by 
his  industry,  honesty  and  sterling  ability  as  a  legislator.  He 
is  a  man  of  middle  age,  with  wrinkled  face,  locks  mingled  with 
gray,  a  watchful  eye,  an  open  ear,  and  ready  tongue.  He  is. 
in  every  sense  of  the  word,  an  "Independent  Republican."  and 
in  one  of  his  recent  speeches  upon  the  extravagance  exposed 
m  certain  departments  of  the  government  he  said  that,  wher- 
ever he  could  see  "fratul  raise  its  head  he  was  rcadx-  to  strike 
at  it." 

A  little  wily  member  over  on  the  Democratic  side  of  the 
house  springs  from  his  seat,  and  reminds  Mr.  Dawes  that  if 
16 


242  SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AXD  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

he  intends  to  strike  at  the  "rising  head  of  fraud,  it  will  keep 
him  busy  on  the  Republican  side  of  the  house."  ''Sunset 
Cox"  is  the  paragon  of  wit  and  humor  in  the  house,  and  he 
is  one  of  the  few  men  that  can  command  attention.  He  is  an 
awkward  speaker,  and  delivers  himself  with  apparent  careless- 
ness of  gesture,  but  is  very  earnest  and  incisive  in  his  remarks. 
When  warmed  u])  in  debate  his  arm  strikes  out  in  one  direc- 
tion and  his  head  flies  back  in  the  other,  and  in  this  attitude 
he  rushes  over  to  the  Republican  side  of  the  house,  crying, 
"pig-iron,"'  "free  salt,""  "free  coal,"'  "free  tea  and  cofifee,  and 
free  trade." 

^^^  D.  Kelly  of  Pennsylvania,  in  tones  of  thunder  and  with 
the  eyes  of  a  tiger,  hurls  back  at  little  Cox  the  cudgel  of 
"Tammany  frauds"  and  the  "traitor  blood  of  the  Democratic 
party."  This  great  tarifT  advocate  then  proceeds  in  rever- 
berating tones  of  real  eloquence  to  defend  the  protective  tar- 
iff policy  of  the  government,  as  necessary  to  the  encourage- 
ment of  home  industry  and  to  keep  up  the  resources  of  the 
nation.  In  this  latter  declaration  he  receives  the  approving 
nod  of  all  the  members  representing  manufacturing  districts, 
regardless  of  politics. 

The  allusion  to  "Tammany  frauds,'"  brings  to  his  feet  that 
old  war  horse  of  New  York  Democracy,  Fernando  Wood, 
lie  stands  six  feet,  and  is  as  straight  as  an  arrow.  With  but- 
toned coat  and  military  mustache,  his  cultured  and  manly 
bearing  at  once  impresses  the  listener  that  the  speaker  is  a 
man  of  stern  will,  refinement  and  ability. 

He  is  one  of  the  most  solid  and  deliberate  speakers  in  the 
body,  and  his  political  convictions  are  as  unshaken  as  the  hills. 
He  has  probably  seen  more  of  active,  exciting  and  instructive 
political  life  during  his  fifty  years'  residence  in  Xew  York 
City  than  any  other  man  in  congress.  He  has  been  three 
times  elected  mayor  of  that  metropolitan  city  of  .\merica.  and 
was  first  elected  as  a  meml)er  of  congress  over  thirty  years 
ago.  He  repels  every  charge  made  against  the  ])olitical  honor 
of  his  adopted  city,  anrl  reminds  the  house  at  this  moment 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMI'IRK.  -43 

that  the  Democracy  of  New  York,  unlike  the  I\e[)ul)hcan  ad- 
ministration, does  not  refuse  to  arraign  and  jjunish  those 
found  guilty  of  corruption  within  its  own  party. 

The  tide  of  debate  now  turns  on  another  subject,  and  the 
noted  "statesman  from  Essex,"  Ben.  Butler,  rises,  with  a 
bundle  of  papers  in  his  arms  as  large  as  a  lady's  band-box, 
and  presents  a  "petition  from  5,000  women,  asking  congress 
to  confer  upon  them  the  right  of  sufifrage."  General  Butler 
is  too  well  known  to  need  a  description  here.  He  has  ap- 
peared in  nearly  every  political  paper  in  the  land.  In  his  pres- 
ent role  there  is  a  perceptible  blush  on  his  "cheek,"  as  two 
page  boys  run  up  to  him  and  carry  off  his  female  petition  on 
their  shoulders,  amidst  the  general  laughter  of  the  house. 

A  member  calls  for  the  reading  of  the  petition,  that  it 
may  be  spread  u])on  the  journal  at  length,  and  Butler  turns 
the  laugh  on  the  house  by  squinting  his  eye  at  the  speaker 
and  saying:  "O,  no,  don't  do  that,  there  is  not  room  to 
parade  all  these  women  upon  the  journal." 

Representative  Farnsworth  of  Illinois,  who  last  spring,  in 
open  and  public  discussion  in  the  house,  called  Butler  "a  cow- 
ard and  a  poltroon,"  next  attracts  our  attention.  He  sits  near 
the  center  aisle  in  front  of  the  speaker,  and  he  rises  to  address 
the  house  on  appropriations  for  "capitol  improvements."  He 
is  six  feet  high,  of  gaunt  and  ugly  bearing,  low  forehead,  long 
grayish  beard,  short  neck,  and  high  hunched  shoulders.  He 
is  of  the  Davis  school  of  "Independent  Republicans."  He 
declares  that  $12,000  of  government  money  was  squandered 
last  year  in  building  a  few  gates  and  fences  around  the  public 
grounds  in  Washington,  and  notwithstanding  this,  that,  ex- 
cept on  the  west  side,  the  cow  paths  and  approaches  leading  to 
the  capitol  building  were  a  disgrace  to  the  American  people. 
And  yet,  says  he,  nearly  every  oiTicer  in  charge  of  these  public 
grounds  and  improvements  has  an  assistant,  paid  l)y  the  gov- 
ernment. He  asks:  "What  are  these  assistants  for?"  A 
meml)cr  answers:  "To  do  the  work."  h^arnsworth  re])lies: 
"And  the  chief  oflicer  's  appointed  to  draw  pay.  1  suppose?" 


244  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

But  this  sort  of  cliciission  on  the  reckless  expenditure  of 
pubHc  money  always  opens  up  a  general  debate,  and  accord- 
ingly- Representative  Garfield  of  Ohio,  chairman  of  committee 
on  appropriations,  comes  to  his  feet  in  defense  of  the  eco- 
nomical administration  of  the  party  in  power.  He  is  a  man 
of  large  head,  pleasant  address,  but  by  no  means  a  fascinating 
speaker.  His  position  at  the  head  of  the  appropriation  com- 
mittee is  a  laborious  and  unpleasant  one. 

If  he  sets  his  face  against  an  appropriation  which  he  con- 
siders unnecessary  or  unwise,  he  is  sure  to  incur  the  displeas- 
ure of  the  friends  of  the  measure :  and  on  the  other  hand, 
if  he  recommends  money  for  any  object  which  he  may  deem 
nieritorious.  there  are  always  suspicious  members  enough  to 
fling  at  him  the  insinuation  that  he  has  a  '"finger  in  the  pie." 
General  Morgan  of  Ohio  has  just  sallied  upon  him  Avith  the 
startling  assertion  that  the  United  States  treasury'  to-day  can- 
not show  to  the  house  within  sixty-eight  millions  of  dollars 
the  actual  debt  of  the  United  States ;  and  that  this  utter  chaos 
in  the  finances  of  the  nation  has  existed  tluring  the  whole 
of  the  present  administration.  Hence  Garfield  is  hastily  called 
up  as  the  public  defender  of  the  treasurer  and  the  administra- 
tion, and  it  is  only  by  a  dexterous  movement  that  he  extri- 
cates himself  from  the  charge,  by  asserting"  that  the  report 
of  the  register  of  the  treasury  fills  up  and  adjusts  the  dis- 
crepancy indicated  in  the  treasurer's  report. 

Representative  Bingham,  the  eloquent  and  able  chairman 
of  the  judiciary  committee,  who  sits  down  in  front  of  the 
speaker,  and  on  the  Democratic  side,  rallies  to  the  aid  of  his 
colleague  (Mr.  Garfield)  and  enlarges  in  glowing  figures  and 
historic  precedents  on  the  greatness,  power  and  unparalleled 
prosperity  of  the  American  government,  during  and  since  the 
war,  and  while  under  Republican  rule.  He  reminds  the  house 
that  it  requires  large  appropriations  of  money  to  sustain  and 
run  a  great  government  like  ours.  The  finances  of  the  nation 
rest  upon  a  foundation  as  firm  as  the  everlasting-  hills ;  that 
the  public  debt  is  being  rapidly  licpiidated  ;    that  the  name 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WlCSTlvRN  EMPIRE.  245 

and  connnercc  and  the  t1a,L;-  of  America  are  known  and  hon- 
ored throug-hoiu  the  civih'zed  world ;  that  the  RepnbHcan 
party  is  one  of  progress  and  liberty,  whose  records  and 
achie\enients  are  more  brilliant  in  history  than  those  of  any 
])arty  that  IkuI  existed  since  the  days  of  the  Revohition. 


House  of  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C,  April  13,  1872. 

Beautiful  spring-time  has  come  in  this  mid-land  climate, 
with  its  early  verdure  and  bloom.  In  the  green-swarded 
parks  of  the  capitol  and  Smithsonian  grounds  already  the 
tender  violets  are  blushing  in  full  glory,  while  the  charming 
magnolia  tree  unfolds  its  spring  robe  of  great  white  blossoms 
upon  the  balmy  air.  The  drooping  old  willows  in  the  botan- 
ical gardens  are  dressed  in  graceful  green,  and  the  fragrance 
of  new-mown  hay  scents  the  breezes  from  the  smoothly  shaven 
lawns  of  the  agricultural  grounds.  Early  birds  are  warbling 
among  the  budding  groves,  and  swarms  of  merry  children 
are  capering  over  the  green  carpeted  lawns  of  the  city  parks. 
Farmers  are  planting  in  their  newly-plowed  fields,  sailboats 
are  running  to  the  fishing  shoals  of  the  Potomac,  and  every- 
thing in  city  and  country  bears  the  impress  of  new-born  life. 

During  the  past  week  the  committee  on  elections  submit- 
ted to  the  house  a  unanimous  report  declaring  that  T  was 
legally  elected  and  entitled  to  retain  my  seat  as  delegate  in 
the  Forty-second  congress  from  the  Territory  of  Dakota. 

This  virtually  settles  the  matter  of  contest,  as  it  is  con- 
ceded that  the  house  will  approve  the  unanimous  report  of 
the  committee,  composed  as  it  is  of  six  Republicans  and  three 
Democrats.  I  shall  now  find  more  time  to  devote  to  the  in- 
terests of  the  territory,  instead  of  being  obliged  to  watch  my 
contestants  in  order  to  defend  myself  in  the  contest. 

T  am  constantly  in  receipt  of  letters  from  all  parts  of  the 
territory  telling  me  what  the  people  want,  and  urging  me  to 


246  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

secure  some  local  legislation  for  some  particular  town  or  per- 
son, and  warning  me  against  paying  too  much  attention  to- 
other  rival  points.  It  is  difficult  for  me  to  act  on  the  requests 
of  individual  letters,  many  of  which  are  contradictory  as  to 
the  wants  of  the  people.  For  instance,  letters  have  been  sent 
on  to  me  requesting  the  removal  of  the  A'ermillion  land  office 
to  each  of  the  following  towns:  Eden,  Canton,  Sioux  Falls, 
Dell  City,  Turnerville  and  Swan  Lake ;  and  recently  letters 
have  been  received  from  Sioux  Falls  stating  that  the  Canton 
people  would  be  satisfied  with  the  land  office  at  Sioux  Falls, 
and  on  the  other  hand  letters  from  Canton  state  that  the  peo- 
ple of  that  town  desire  the  land  office  themselves.  Notwith- 
standing this,  I  have  not  received  a  petition  from  either  place 
asking  for  a  change  in  the  present  location  of  the  office,  but 
some  of  the  leading  men  at  Sioux  Falls  appear  to  believe  that 
the  office  ought  to  and  can  be  removed  to  that  place  without 
a  petition.  This  may  be  true,  but  the  commissioner  does  not 
feel  authorized  to  act  in  the  premises  until  the  people  in  the 
Vermillion  district  can  pretty  generally  unite  on  some  one 
point.  The  location  of  a  new  office  at  Yankton  in  no 
way  conflicts  with  future  action  as  to  the  Vermillion  or 
Springfield  offices,  but  the  propriety  of  one  office  at  the  capi- 
tal of  the  territory  has  already  beeii  officially  recommended 
by  the  commissioners  of  the  general  land  office,  on  the 
ground  that  one  of  the  land  offices  in  every  territory  should  be 
located  at  its  capital,  and  that  Dakota  is  the  only  present  ex- 
ception to  the  rule,  out  of  the  nine  territories  in  the  Union. 
The  same  difference  of  opinion  also  seems  to  exist,  as  ex- 
pressed by  letters  received,  in  reference  to  the  appointment 
of  postmasters  at  Sioux  Falls,  Elk  Point,  Springfield,  etc., 
which  renders  it  very  difficult  to  form  a  correct  judgment  of 
the  real  desire  of  the  people. 

There  is  now  no  longer  much  doubt  as  to  the  passage  of 
the  bill  extending  the  time  for  making  payments  on  pre- 
emption claims  in  Dakota  one  year.  Minnesota,  Wisconsin, 
Michigan  and  Dakota  have  been  included  in  one  bill,  which 


SKETCHES  OF  COXr.RESS  ANT)  VVICSTKRX    KM  IM  Rl!.  247 

has  passed  the  senate  and  is  reported  favorably  in  the  house. 
I  am  much  indebted  to  Senators  llaniHn  and  romcroy  for 
their  willing-  aid  given  to  this  bill  in  the  senate. 

Senator  Ramsey's  bill  for  the  new  territory  of  Pembina 
has  been  reported  favoral.>ly  to  the  senate,  and  is  awaiting 
the  day  for  reports  from  the  territorial  committee.  The 
house  connnittee  on  this  bill  has  not  yet  reported,  but  are 
awaiting  further  information  as  to  the  present  population 
and  resources  of  the  proposed  new  territory.  The  committee 
on  public  lands  in  the  house  have  instructed  Mr.  Dunnell 
of  Minnesota  to  report  the  Yankton  land  office  bill  to  the 
house  with  a  recommendation  that  it  pass. 

The  committee  on  territories  has  also  acted  favorably 
on  the  bill  giving  250,000  acres  of  internal  improvement  lands 
to  each  one  of  the  territories.  The  secretary  of  war  has  re- 
ported to  the  house  his  opinion  as  to  the  validity  of  the  Da- 
kota Indian  war  claims  of  1862,  amounting  to  $28,132.17. 
He  states  that  the  Dakota  militia  having  l)een  called  out  by 
proclamation  of  the  governor  for  the  protection  of  the  fron- 
tier without  the  knowledge  of  the  government,  the  war  de- 
partment is  not  therefore  authorized  to  reimburse  the  terri- 
tory without  an  act  of  congress.  The  committee,  therefore, 
are  considering  the  equity  of  the  claims  before  reporting  the 
bill  now  under  consideration. 

Mr.  Chas.  Collins  of  the  vSioux  City  Times  and  president 
of  the  "Black  Hills  Expedition,"  is  here  working  assiduously 
with  the  departments  and  congress  for  permission  to  pro- 
ceed with  his  laudable  enterprise  of  opening  up  the  pine  min- 
eral lands  of  the  Black  Hills  to  white  settlement.  He  ex- 
presses no  desire  to  efifect  a  forcible  invasion  of  the  country, 
but  hopes  to  secure  the  appointment  of  a  board  of  commis- 
sioners to  examine  that  region  of  western  Dakota,  and  report 
to  the  departments  whether  the  Black  Hills  country  is  any 
longer  needed  for  the  occupation  of  Indians.  The  secretary 
of  the  interior  has  officially  expressed  his  opinion  that  the 
Black  Hills  region  "is  not  necessary  for  the  peace  and  welfare 


248  SKETCHES  OF  COXGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

of  the  Indians,"  and  hence,  it  would  appear  that  the  govern- 
ment may  yet  throw  open  to  white  settlement  the  pine  forests 
of  western  Dakota. 


House  of  Representati.ves, 
Washington,  D.  C.  April  21,  1872. 

Looking  down  the  broad  and  beautiful  Potomac,  on  the 
right  shore,  at  a  distance  of  six  miles,  can  be  seen  the  city  of 
Alexandria,  in  Virginia,  the  memorable  spot  where  waved  the 
rebellious  flag  above  the  old  ^Marshal  House  in  which  Ells- 
worth was  shot,  while  attempting  to  pull  down  the  saucy  en- 
sign. 

Taking  the  Seventh  street  cars  we  roll  down  to  the  Wash- 
ington wharf,  and  in  ten  minutes'  time  we  embark  on  the  fine 
steamer  Arrow,  and  dart  away  down  the  broad  channel  for 
Mount  Vernon,  once  the  home  and  now  the  final  resting 
])iace  of  the  immortal  Washington.  The  picturesc|ue  hills 
on  either  shore  rival  the  beauties  of  the  far-famed  Hudson. 
We  pass  the  charming  cape  of  green  and  groves  bristling 
^\  ith  whole  acres  of  death  dealing  cannon  belonging  to  the 
United  States  arsenal  grounds,  and  our  attention  is  attracted 
to  a  flag  pole  from  which  is  waving  the  banner  of  the  Union, 
near  to  the  spot  where  were  tried  and  hung  the  assassinators 
of  Lincoln. 

To  the  right  of  us  on  a  distant  and  commanding  summit, 
surrounded  by  forests  of  evergreens,  can  be  plainly  seen  the 
Arlington  mansion,  which  in  early  days  was  the  property  of 
a  near  relation  of  George  V.'ashington.  and  latterly  descended 
to  the  Lee  family,  and  up  to  the  time  of  the  late  war  was  the 
home  of  Gen.  Robert  E.  Lee.  The  property  was  confiscated 
by  the  United  States  government,  and  the  once  beautiful 
grounds  have  been  converted  into  a  national  cemetery,  and 
is  now  a  perfect  wilderness  of  tombstones,  or  white  .head- 
boards of  fallen  Union  soldiers. 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  A\D  WESTERN  EMPTRI'.  249 

In  one  great  common  tomb  marked  by  a  solitary  monu- 
ment is  buried  2,  [  1 1  soldiers  whose  names  are  "unknown," 
while  stretching  away  over  the  vast  and  solemn  field  of  the 
dead,  the  apparently  inmiowible  legion  of  white  head  hoards 
stand  like  ghosts  of  the  departed.  Passing  on  down  the  Po- 
tomac we  touch  a  moment  at  Alexandria,  a  city  of  20,000 
inhabitants,  situated  on  the  Virginia  shore. 

This  is  one  of  the  oldest  cities  in  the  United  States,  and  is 
said  to  have  been  once  the  largest  in  America.  The  old  Epis- 
copal church  in  which  George  Washington  worshipped  is 
still  standing  in  the  city.  The  brick  for  this  building  were 
brought  over  from  England  at  a  very  early  day. 

The  church  pew  occupied  by  the  immortal  Father  of  his 
Country  is  still  kept  in  good  repair,  and  large  congregations 
assemble  each  Sabbath  at  this  old  and  historical  temple  of 
worship. 

A  few  miles  below,  on  the  Maryland  shore,  we  pass  a  high 
and  sea-walled  point  on  which  is  situated  Fort  Washington, 
built  in  1812,  and  strongly  fortified  during  the  late  rebellion. 
It  is  now  one  of  the  most  impregnable  forts  in  the  country, 
and  appears  from  the  river  like  a  hill  of  iron. 

Just  below  we  enter  the  great  "Shad  shoals"  of  the  Poto- 
mac, where  we  observe  hundreds  of  men  "reeling"  long  seines 
out  into  the  river  a  half  mile  or  more  from  land.  These  seines 
are  hauled  in  to  shore  by  horse  windlass,  and  in  some  cases 
by  local  steam  power.  Small  fishing  "smacks"  are  floating 
about  on  the  shoals,  ready  to  carry  the  live  wriggling  crop  of 
the  net  to  the  Alexandria  market.  From  6.000  to  18,000 
fish  are  often  drawn  in  at  one  harvest  of  the  seine.  Oyster 
beds  are  found  several  miles  further  down  the  river,  where 
the  ocean  tide  is  perceptibly  felt.  But  directly  opposite  us 
on  the  Virginia  shore  is  Mount  Vernon. 

Our  bell  toils,  we  land,  the  swarm  of  visitors  disembark, 
and  climb  the  green  banks  to  stand  in  reverence  before  the 
tomb  of  Washington. 


250  SKETCHES  OF  CON'GRESS  AND  \yESTERN  EMPIRE. 

Through  the  iron  gratino^  door  can  be  seen  the  sarcophagi 
inclosing  the  remains  of  \\'ashington  and  his  wife  Martha. 
The  estate  of  Mount  Vernon  has  been  allowed  to  pass  into 
tlie  hands  of  tlie  "\\'omcn  of  the  Republic."  who  have  ap- 
pointed a  board  of  regents,  the  secretary  of  which  resides  at 
and  superintends  the  care  of  the  "old  mansion,"  which  con- 
tains many  historical  relics,  such  as  portions  of  the  military 
and  personal  furniture  of  the  great  man,  family  portraits,  mu- 
sical instruments,  etc.  A  portion  of  the  passage  money  re- 
ceived from  visitors  by  boat  is  applied  to  the  care  and  sup- 
port of  the  buildings  and  grounds.  The  surroundings  are 
charmingly  embellished,  and  a  sacred  loneliness  pervades 
the  spot.  The  visitor  looks  down  upon  and  up  the  broad 
sail-covered  Potomac  from  this  tomb  of  the  immortal  dead 
to  the  proud  capital  of  his  great  country,  in  full  view,  twenty 
miles  in  the  distance. 

We  return  pensively  to  the  steamer  Arrow,  and  are  soon 
darting  away  up  the  grand  river,  and  in  two  hours  arrive  at 
the  ^^'ash^ngton  city  wharf. 


House  of  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C,  May  5,  1872. 
The  all-absorbing  theme  of  conversation  in  Washing- 
ton during  the  past  week  has  been  upon  the  assembling 
and  deliberations  of  the  great  "TJberal  Convention."  at 
Cincinnati  for  nominating  a  president.  The  eyes  of  the 
great  men  of  both  parties  have  been  turned  with  much 
earnestness  to  watch  the  final  result  of  this '  immense 
gathering.  The  scenes  in  both  houses  of  congress  dur- 
ing the  receipt  of  telegraphic  dispatches  announcing  the 
successive  ballotings  in  Cincinnati  was  one  of  such  excite- 
ment and  anxiety  among  members  that  it  was  with  the 
utmost  difficulty  that  sufficient  order  was  maintained  to  pro- 
ceed with  the  business  of  legislation.     Crowds  of  members 


SKETCHES  Ol^  COXGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMl'lKi:.  25  I 

were  seen  knotted  together  in  all  parts  of  tlie  hall,  talking 
loudly  and  gesticulating  excitedly.  The  first  dispatch  an- 
nouncing Adams  ahead,  fell  upon  the  liouse  with  marked 
surprise,  and  was  received  coldly  and  almost  silently  by  both 
Republican  and  Democratic  members.  It  was  an  excellent 
opportunity  to  judge  of  the  real  sentiment  and  preference  of 
the  representatives  of  the  people  from  all  states  in  the  Union, 
as  the  successive  ballots  flashed  in  upon  the  house,  revealing 
the  comparative  strength  of  the  respective  candidates.  By 
close  observation  it  was  plainly  to  be  seen  that  the  Repub- 
licans were  pleased  to  see  Adams  lead  off,  and  were  in  high 
hopes  that  each  coming  ballot  would  declare  him  nominated: 
while  leading  Democrats  were  seen  to  bite  their  lips  and 
would  have  l)ut  little  to  say  to  each  other,  but  seemed  to  be 
anxiously  awaiting  the  final  result  before  expressing  an 
opinion.  Fernando  Wood,  who  sat  immediately  in  front  of 
me,  remained  silent  for  some  moments,  looking  vacantly 
away  off  into  the  dark  gallery,  apparently  surveying  the 
future  uncertain  field  of  American  politics.  Dan  Voorhees 
was  evidently  more  uneasy,  and  with  a  knitted  scowl  upon 
his  face  he  moved  impetuously  around  among  the  members 
reading  and  re-reading  different  telegrams,  as  though  un- 
willing to  believe  his  own  eyes. 

Soon  came  the  second  and  third  telegrams  stating  that 
Greeley  was  gaining  and  that  Brown  had  withdrawn  in  his 
favor.  Upon  the  receipt  of  this  news  the  excitement  became 
so  great  that  Mr.  Dawes,  who  was  addressing  the  house  on 
the  tariflf  question,  was  obliged  to  suspend  speaking  until 
order  could  be  restored.  To  my  surprise,  I  observed  that 
the  administration  men  received  the  news  of  Greeley's 
strength  and  probable  nomination  with  a  soberness  almost 
approaching  sadness ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  the  Demo- 
crats began  to  wear  complacent  smiles,  and  soon  became 
more  communicative.  To  a  close  observer  it  now  became 
very  evident  that  the  administration  Republicans  had  all 
along  believed  that  such  a  ticket  would  be  nominated  at  Cin- 


-i)- 


sketches  oe  congress  and  western  empire. 


cinnati  as  would,  of  necessity,  drive  Mr.  Greeley  and  his 
friends  liack  into  the  administration  fold.  Scarcely  had  this 
excitement  subsided  before  the  lightning  flashed  in  upon  the 
house  the  tidings  that  Greeley  was  nominated.  The  mem- 
bers were  so  completely  astounded  and  outdone  in  their  pre- 
dictions that  there  was  a  perceptible  laugh  all  over  the  hall. 
Members  looked  each  other  in  the  face  incredulously,  and 
asked  suspiciously.  '"When  will  wonders  cease?"  Randall, 
chairman  of  the  Democratic  national  committee,  said  aloud: 
"Well,  Greeley  is  an  honest  man,  anyhow."  A  red-hot  \^ir- 
ginia  Democratic  member  exclaimed :  "A  Democratic  ticket 
headed  by  Greeley  would  be  like  a  band  of  Christians  headed 
by  the  devil."  Another  Democrat  from  Georgia,  a  Confeder- 
ate general,  in  the  late  rebellion,  said  :  ''The  only  alternative 
now  left  for  the  old  Democratic  party  is  to  stand  firm  by  its 
g"uns.  and  win  the  field."  Other  Democrats  from  the  North 
and  South  expressed  themselves  as  caring-  more  for  the  plat- 
form than  for  the  man.  and  that  if  Greeley  would  place  him- 
self upon  a  satisfactor}'  platform  they  would  willing^ly  sup- 
port him — avowing  that  he  should  no  more  be  shut  out  on 
account  of  his  past  policy  than  a  man  should  be  denied  ad- 
mission to  a  church  on  the  score  of  former  transgressions. 

Prominent  Democratic  members  remain  non-committed, 
evading  all  interrogatones  by  simply  stating  that  thev  shall 
go  with  their  party  in  determining  its  future  course.  All 
agree  that  another  Democratic  convention  should  and  \v\]\ 
be  soon  called,  and  in  all  probability  a  full  Democratic  ticket 
will  be  put  into  the  field,  unless  IMr.  Greeley  before  that  time 
makes  a  plain  and  acceptable  concession  to  some  of  the  free 
trade  or  low  tariflF  doctrines  of  the  Democratic  party. 

This  appears  to  be  the  only  main  question  at  issue  be- 
tween the  parties  of  the  present  day. 

The  "Liberal"  ticket  of  Greeley  and  Brown  is  admitted 
by  administration  men  generally  to  be  a  formidable  and  dan- 
gerous one  to  President  Grant.  Some  even  predict  that  it 
will  divide  the  Republican  party  in  the  middle,  and  that  there- 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRK.  253 


by  the  Democrats  will  carry  the  elections  in  the  states  by  a 
plurality  vote,  ensuring  to  them  a  majority  of  the  next  con- 
gress, with  a  fair  probability  of  the  presidency.  Others  claim 
that  if  the  Democrats  nominate  a  separate  ticket  the  great 
mass  of  the  Republican  party  will  be  driven  to  concentrate 
their  votes  upon  Grant  in  order  to  prevent  the  Democracy 
from  getting  control  of  the  government.  This  class  of  ad- 
ministration Republicans  pretty  generally  concede  that,  if 
the  Democratic  party  unites  solidly  upon  Greeley,  he  will  be 
the  next  president  of  the  United  States.  Many  of  the  lead- 
ing Democratic  journals  and  congressmen  have  already  ex- 
pressed their  approval  of  his  nomination. 


House  of  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C.,  May  19,  1872. 

Since  my  last  letter  three  bills  have  passed  both  houses  of 
congress  which  relate  particularly  to  the  interests  of  Dakota. 
One  is  the  bill  extending  the  time  for  the  final  payment  on 
preemption  claims  until  the  fourteenth  day  of  July,  1872; 
also,  the  deficiency  bill  appropriating  $6,000  to  pay  the  unset- 
tled contingent  expenses  of  the  last  legislature,  such  as  print- 
ing laws,  rents,  "incidentals,"  etc. :  and  the  bill  creating  a 
new  land  district  and  establishing  a  long  needed  United 
States  land  of^ce  at  the  capital  of  the  territory.  Our  terri- 
tory was  particularly  favored  in  the  bill  extending  the  time 
for  preemption  payments,  since  up  to  this  late  day  in  the 
session  Dakota  is  the  only  one  out  of  the  nine  territories  that 
has  secured  an  extension  of  time.  A  bill  is  now  pending  to 
confer  the  same  favor  uprMi  all  tlie  territories,  but  it  is  feared 
that  it  may  fail  to  become  a  law  before  the  adjournment  of 
the  present  session  of  congress.  The  "S^ankton  land  office 
will  probably  be  opened  for  btisiness  in  the  month  of  June. 
The  most  prominent  candidjit'cs  for  the  position  of  register 


2  54  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

and  receiver  arc  L.  Ai.  Bayless,  Geo.  H.  Hand,  Ephraim 
Miner  and  Capt.  D.  W.  Allison. 

I  lind  that  Democratic  mcnihers  of  congress  here  who 
represent  districts  polling  50,000  votes  have  no  weight  what- 
ever with  the  president  in  controlling  the  patronage  or  offices 
of  their  respective  districts.  The  president  is  one  of  those 
"old  warriors"  who  believe  that  "to  the  victors  belong  the 
spoils."  But  what  troubles  him  most  just  now  is  to  find  who 
are  the  'S'ictorious"  Republicans  in  Dakota:  and  until  he  is 
able  to  solve  this  question  he  will  refrain  from  putting  much 
patronage  into  the  hands  of  either  one  of  the  warring  factions 
of  the  Republican  party  of  Dakota.  Congress,  on  the  other 
hand,  is  fullv  as  generous  toward  a  Democratic  delegate  as 
a  Republican,  in  the  way  of  extending  to  him  a  helping  hand 
in  all  general  legislation  tending  to  promote  the  interests  of 
his  people  and  territory. 

The  bill  legalizing  the  action  of  our  legislature  authoriz- 
ing the  voting  of  bonds  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  the  Da- 
kota Southern  Railroad  has  met  with  a  very  close  and  scru- 
tinizing discussion  in  both  houses.  In  the  senate  the  best 
legal  talent  was  brought  to  bear  against  it,  and  it  was  cut 
and  trimmed  until  it  became  an  entirely  new  bill.  It  is  now 
in  the  house  again,  and  is  going  through  another  gauntlet, 
and  will  come  up  before  the  house  for  final  passage  with  two 
more  amendments  engrafted  upon  it.  Then  it  will  go  back 
to  the  senate  again  for  concurrence.  Hence  it  will  be  readily 
seen  that  the  bill  is  now  in  its  most  critical  position,  being 
encumbered  with  so  many  amendments,  and  the  two  houses 
drawing  so  closely  upon  the  day  of  final  adjournment.  Legis- 
lation is  crowding  rapidly  in  upon  the  expiring  hours  of 
congress,  and  in  order  to  make  way  for  the  great  pressure  of 
other  important  business,  the  committee  having  this  bill  in 
charge  was  swept  of¥  the  floor  the  other  night,  before  they 
had  reported  one-half  of  the  number  of  bills  on  their  calen- 
dar. It-now  requires  a  two-thirds  vote  to  raise  this  bill  before 
the  house  and  put  it  on  its  passage.      Nothing  but  the  great 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMl'IRi:.  ^55 

necessities  of  Dakota's  struggling  community  will  influence 
members  to  give  the  requisite  two-thirds  majority  to  pass  the 
bill.  The  conmiittee  have  very  kindly  offered  to  make  a 
special  effort  to-morrow  to  raise  this  bill  and  pass  it.  The  bill 
as  finally  agreed  upon  requires  the  railroad  company  to  issue 
to  each  county  paid-up  certificates  of  stock  in  the  road  equal 
to  the  amount  of  bonds  voted  by  such  county  to  said  railroad. 
By  this  means,  so  soon  as  the  road  is  put  in  operation,  the 
dividends  or  profits  accruing  to  the  counties  holding  stock 
will  go  to  meet  the  semi-annual  interest  falling  due  from  the 
counties  to  the  company;  and  before  the  county  bonds  fall 
due,  the  stock  in  the  road  can  be  sold  to  meet  the  whole  rail- 
road indebtedness  of  the  county,  'i'hus  the  counties  along 
tlie  line  will  reap  the  benefit  of  a  railroad  without  incurring 
any  ultimate  indebtedness.  Under  this  bill  there  will  be  saved 
to  Yankton  county  alone  the  sum  of  $520,000,  being  the 
amount  of  principal  and  interest  on  the  twenty-year  bonds 
voted  by  this  county,  and  any  township  that  may  vote  aid  in 
the  future  will  receive  stock  in  the  same  ratio.  The  bill  al- 
lows the  company  to  extend  its  road  to  the  Yankton  Indian 
reserve. 

An  omnibus  right-of-way  bill  has  passed  the  house  grant- 
ing twenty-six  acres  per  mile  for  railroads  up  the  Sioux,  Yer- 
million,  Dakota  and  Missouri  rivers,  and  from  Sioux  Falls 
to  Y''ankton.  These  right-of-way  grants  will  all  meet  with 
opposition  in  the  senate,  and  may  be  defeated.  Twenty  acres 
of  land  is  granted  for  each  station  of  ten  miles,  and  many 
members  look  upon  this  as  opening  the  door  for  congress  for 
these  right-of-way  companies  to  come  in  hereafter  and  ask 
for  an  increase  of  their  grants  and  privileges,  on  the  ground 
that  they  are  congressional  corporations. 

It  seems  now  to  be  pretty  definitely  settled  that  congress 
will  adjourn  within  ten  days  from  this  date.  However,  nnich 
depends  upon  the  progress  of  the  tarifif  bill  and  the  outlook  of 
the  Philadelphia  convention.  Some  administration  members 
desire  to  remain  here  until  ("irant  is  renominated  for  presi- 


256  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

dent.  Greeley  seems  to  be  gaining  strength  with  Democratic 
members  from  the  Kastern  States,  while  the  \\  estern  Demo- 
crats talk  "straight  ticket."  It  is  pretty  generally  conceded 
that  Greeley  will  be  the  strongest  man  before  the  Baltimore 
convention,  but  many  Democrats  openly  declare  that  they 
will  bolt  the  convention  if  he  is  nominated.  Voorhees'  late 
speech  in  the  house  against  Greeley  did  not  seem  to  meet 
a  responsive  feeling  among  the  Democratic  members.  It 
was  pronounced  ill-timed  and  uncalled  for.  lie  was,  how- 
ever, applauded  by  the  Republican  side  of  the  house. 


House  of  Representatives. 
\^'ASHINGTON,  D.  C,  May  25,  1872. 

.\s  the  closing  da}s  of  congress  begin  to  crowd  in  upon 
the  unfinished  business  of  the  session,  everything  is  hurry  and 
excitement,  and  members  are  besieged  on  all  hands  b}^  eager 
parties,  who  are  each  interested  in  the  passage  of  some  partic- 
ular bill  before  the  day  of  adjournment.  Two  sessions  a  day 
have  been  held  during  the  past  week,  and  last  night  the  house 
did  not  adjourn  ''till  broad  dayhght  in  the  morning."  As  the 
long  line  of  members  walked  down  the  avenue  this  morning, 
they  looked  heavy-eyed  and  weary."  A  "call  of  the  house" 
was  ordered  at  twelve  o'clock  at  night  and  absentees  sent 
for  to  vote  upon  a  southern  claim  for  property  de- 
stroyed during  the  Rebellion.  The  sleepy  and  virtuous 
members  who  had  gone  home  to  rest  were  ruthlessly  rallied 
from  their  downy  couches  and  marshaled  forth  by  the 
sergeant-at-arms  to  answer  to  the  call  of  the  roll.  Sparring 
and  speaking,  and  nodding  and  snoring  consumed  the  time 
of  the  house  until  after  daylight,  when  a  final  vote  was 
reached  and  103  drowsy  heads  muttered  *'aye"  and  thirty-five 
not  so  drowsy  answered  "no."  So  the  bill  passed,  the  house 
adjourned  over  till  Monday,  and  the  meml)crs  went  to  their 


^^^Z>-<;^y 


•h-S^K^-p^ 


SKETCHES  OF  COxXGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  257 

rooms  10  wash,  shave  and  swear.    IDuring  such  exciting-  times 
in  the  house  there  is  an  excellent  opportunity  to  watch  and 
study  the  different  characteristics  of 'men.     It  will  at  once 
be  seen  that  the  effective  men  in  congress  are  the  working 
and  vigilant  ones.     When  a  great  and  important  question  i"^ 
sprung  upon  the  house  these  men  will  be  found  standing 
forth  in  their  full  power  and  influence,  based  upon  the  simple 
fact  that  they  have  thoroughly  investigated  the  subject.     It 
is  almost  remarkable  sometimes  to  witness  with  what  appar- 
ent dangerous  reliance  and  confidence  intelligent  members 
will  act  upon  the  statements  of  one  of  their  fellow  repre- 
sentatives in  the  final  passage  of  a  bill  which  appropriates 
thousands  of  dollars.     The  chairman  of  the  leading  commit- 
tees in  both  branches  of  congress  are  really  hard  working, 
vigilant,   able  men.     They  usually  work   two-thirds   of  the 
twenty-four  hours  or  more;    must  examine  laws,  hear  wit- 
nesses, listen  to  lobbyists,  be  tortured  by  questions,  and  must 
still  go  prepared  before  a  full  house  in  the  morning  to  de^ 
fend    their    report  and    positions  on  the  pending    measure. 
These  men  are  always  pressed,  always  in  a  hurry,  and  will 
rush  by  you  with  as  much  headlong  impetuosity  as  a  railroad 
express  train  behind  time.     In  debate  they  always  have  an  eye 
on  the  speaker,  and  an  ear  open  to  catch  any  word  from  an 
attacking  member.     They  will  fly  about  the  house  with  per- 
fect carelessness,  running  over  page  boys  and  upsetting  ink- 
stands.    They  will  rush  up  and  whisper  in  the  speaker's  ear. 
and  dart  down  again  and  look  over  the  clerk's  shoulder. 

^  I  have  seen  General  Garfield,  of  the  appropriation  com- 
mittee, hungry  and  wearied,  rush  down  in  front  with  a  piece 
of  pie  in  his  hand,  and  exclaim,  "Mr.  Speaker,  I  now  move 
to  strike  out  the  words  Tifty  thousand  dollars.'  "  I  have  seen 
Ben  Butler  take  an  unlighted  cigar  from  his  mouth  and  lay 
it  upon  his  desk  while  he  addressed  the  house.  I  have  seen 
Sargeant  of  California  making  a  speech  with  his  right  foot 
upon  his  chair  and  his  left  hand  thrust  deep  into  his  pocket. 
James  Brooks  of  New  York,  who,  perhaps,  possesses  more 


17 


258  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

exact  information  about  taxation  and  public  debt  than  any 
man  in  the  house,  and  whose  speeches  are  all  figures  and 
fractions,  generally  addresses  the  speaker  while  leaning  back 
on  his  neighbor's  desk,  and  resting  himself  upon  both  elbows. 
Brooks  was  afterwards  expelled  for  accepting  a  bribe  in  the 
Credit  Alobilier  fraud.  Sam  Randall,  one  of  the  Democratic 
leaders,  delivers  his  best  speeches  with  both  hands  in  his 
pockets  and  his  right  eye  shut,  while  with  his  other  eye  he 
squints  over  at  the  Republican  side  of  the  house  like  an  old 
sea  captain  spying  a  fog.  The  foregoing  characters  belong 
to  that  class  of  busy,  working,  watchful  men,  who  in  a  great 
measure  control  the  entire  legislation  of  congress. 

There  is  another  notable  class  here  whom  I  will  call  vain 
men  in  congress.  The  members  who  will  rank  under  this 
caption  are  very  anxious  to  appear  each  day  in  the  Globe  as 
having  said  something  in  congress,  no  matter  if  it  effects  any 
final  result  or  not.  They  are  usually  a  class  of  "objectors," 
and  are  ready  to  pronounce  nearly  every  bill  that  comes  up 
as  a  trap  or  a  snare  to  defraud  the  people  or  plunder  the 
treasury.  They  are  always  full  of  "'suppositions"  and  "con- 
jectures"'  as  to  what  might  happen  if  the  moon  should  turn 
black.  They  are  self-appointed  guardians  of  the  whole  peo- 
ple, and  are  continually  warning  congress  about  extrava- 
gances. They  invariably  close  their  little  speeches  by  coun- 
seling honesty  and  economy  in  all  matters  outside  of  their 
own  districts,  but  always  vote  with  a  ready  zeal  for  any  sub- 
sidy or  appropriation  of  money  for  public  improvements 
withm  their  own  congressional  purlieu.  These  men  look  to 
the  galleries  for  an  approving  smile,  and  to  the  Globe  and  the 
morning  papers  for  ephemeral  popularity.  They  seldom 
propose  any  bill  for  the  common  good  of  the  public,  but  are 
provokingly  on  the  watch  to  oppose  every  progressive  meas- 
ure brought  before  the  assembly,  and  delight  in  being  called 
"public  economists"  and  "watch-dogs  of  the  treasury."  Their 
minds  run  in  narrow  ruts,  and  they  believe  that  the  wheels 
of  government  should  be  kept  on  the  old  narrow-gauge  track 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  2  59 

of  fifty  years  ago.  They  cannot  elevate  their  ideas  to  the 
level  of  the  scope  and  greatness  and  progressive  demands  of 
a  great  and  powerful  nation. 

There  is  still  another  class  who  may  be  called  the  lazy 
men  in  congress.  They  pass  through  the  whole  session, 
drawing  pay,  lounging  upon  the  cloak-room  sofas,  and  an- 
swering carelessly  to  the  call  of  the  "ayes"  and  "nays,"  on  the 
final  passage  of  bills.  They  are  generally  cheerful,  clever  and 
accommodating.  They  never  allow  the  business  of  congress 
to  interfere  with  their  appointed  dinner  hours,  their  accus- 
tomed carriage  rides,  or  their  regular  sleep.  They  will  tell 
you  that  congress  only  lasts  for  two  years,  and  they  do  not 
intend  to  kill  themselves  in  the  congressional  harness  for  the 
benefit  of  posterity.  They  almost  invariably  vote  on  the 
passage  of  bills  just  as  the  committee  may  report  who  has 
had  the  matter  under  investigation.  They  are  men  of  good 
judgment,  fair  minded,  and  well  posted,  but  they  abhor  the 
idea  of  working  themselves  to  death  during  two  years  in  con- 
gress. 

The  noisy  men  in  congress  are  those  who  are  continually 
popping  up  and  making  motions,  asking  questions,  and  mak- 
ing speeches  upon  everything  and  anything  that  comes  up 
for  consideration.  These  men  possess  a  vast  amount  of 
cheek,  vanity  and  ambition,  and  they  will  dash  in  and  make 
a  speech  on  any  subject,  whether  they  know  anything  about 
it  or  not.  The  Globe  bristles  with  the  names  of  these  "noisy 
members,"  and  the  credulous  people  throughout  the  country 
read  the  newspapers  and  pronounce  them  "prominent  mem- 
bers" of  congress.  Th.ese  are,  perhaps,  the  least  influential 
men  in  the  house,  from  the  fact  that  they  are  never  sincere, 
but  speak  only  for  buncombe;  and  when  the  vote  is  taken 
it  is  found  these  noisy  ebullitions  of  patriotism  have  fallen 
dead  upon  the  ears  of  members.  My  experience  and  observa- 
tion here  has  shown  me  that  the  strong  men  in  congress  are 
the  ones  who  are  plain,  honest,  sincere  and  thoroughly  in- 
formed upon  the  necessities  of  the  matter  upon  which  congres- 


26o  SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

sional  legislation  is  requested.  A  man  who  never  deceives  the 
house  by  his  statements  will  in  time  g'ain  the  almost  unlimited 
confidence  of  his  fellow  members,  and  his  measures  are  re- 
ceived and  acte.d  upon  without  that  searching  scrutiny  and 
discussion  which  are  sure  to  befall  all  propositions  coming 
from  a  more  uncertain  source.  Brilliancy,  eloquence  and 
high  talents  have  but  little  weight  in  congTCss  when  com- 
pared with  a  plain,  succinct  statement  of  facts.  ^Members 
will  sit  and  listen  to  the  tones  of  eloquence  as  they  would  to 
the  sounds  of  sweet  music,  but  when  they  come  to  cast  their 
votes,  the  verdict  is  invariably  given  in  accordance  with  the 
enunciated  facts  in  the  case.  In  fact,  I  have  found  that  mem- 
bers of  congress  are  more  generally  fair  and  just  in  their 
legislative  judgment  than  is  accorded  to  them  by  the  news- 
papers of  the  land.  The  Western  Territories  are  prone  to 
think  that  they  are  not  liberally  treated  by  the  Eastern  States 
in  congress.  But  we  in  Dakota  forget  that  the  people  of 
these  same  Eastern  States  are  annually  taxed  to  pay  $60,000 
to  sustain  our  courts  in  the  territory,  $70,000  to  survey  our 
lands.  $20,000  to  run  our  legislature,  $15,000  to  pay  our  fed- 
eral officers,  many  thousand  dollars  to  supply  us  with  mails, 
several  thousand  dollars  for  rent  of  public  buildings,  besides 
stationing  troops  upon  our  frontier  to  protect  our  settle- 
ments, and  feeding  and  clothing  30,000  Indians  to  keep  the 
peace  in  our  territory.  All  else  that  Dakota  now  actually 
needs  from  the  government  is  federal  aid  to  construct  railroads 
as  public  highways  for  trade  and  travel  through  the  great 
interior  plains  of  the  territory.  This  has  been  partially  done 
during  the  present  session,  and  I  am  fully  assured  that  Da- 
kota will  be  generously  treated  by  congress  in  her  future 
projects  of  internal  improvements. 

WIT  AND  SARCASM   IN  CONGRKSS— FREE  TRADE  VS.   PROTECTIVE    TARIFF. 

We  give  from  the  Congressional  Globe  of  a  recent  date, 
the  following  humorous  and  spicy  debate  in  the  United  States 
house  of  representatives,  on  the  tariff  question.     It  shows 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  ^T)  I 

how  completely  bewildered  and  befog\Q:ed  nre  the  leadins;- 
men  of  all  parties  on  this  most  important  and  dividing-  ques- 
tion of  the  day.  We  find  members  voting-  against  their  party 
and  in  favor  of  local  protection.  As  Banks  says,  "They  speak 
one  way  and  vote  the  other."  The  Pennsylvania  "coal  mem- 
bers" vote  in  a  body  against  "free  coal,"  and  the  New  York 
"salt  members"  are  united  against  "free  salt."  and  hence  the 
tariff  on  each  remains : 

Mr.  Cox:  I  do  not  propose  so  much  to  antagonize  the  gentleman 
from  Massachusetts  (Mr.  Butler)  in  regard  to  making  salt  partly  free.  I 
should  like  to  see  it  entirely  free.  I  speak  on  this  side  of  the  house 
(standing  hear  Mr.  Dawes)  because  my  side  of  the  house  is  somewhat 
demoralized  on  the  tariff  (laughter),  judging  from  some  of  the  votes 
given  on  coal  there  yesterday. 

Some  curious  arguments  were  made  yesterday.  They  go  far  to  dis- 
turb some  of  my  principles,  if  not  control  my  vote.  A  gentleman  from 
Pennsylvania  (Mr.  Griffith)  appealed  to  my  friend  from  Indiana  (Mr. 
Kerr)  not  to  oppose  the  coal  tax  because  he  was  born  above  a  coal  form- 
ation (laughter)  in  Pennsylvania,  and  his  playmates,  were  honorable  men. 
I  feel  the  force  of  that  ad  hominem.  I  was  born  near  the  salt  wells  of  the 
beautiful  Muskingum'  in  Ohio.  Before  that  stream  had  slack-water,  be- 
fore it  was  considered  hardly  worth  a  dam  (laughter),  its  banks  spouted 
salt  water  like  a  Massachusetts  member  of  Congress.  It  was  evaporated 
by  bituminous  coal— i  mean  nothing  personal  to  the  gallant  member  from 
Massachusetts,  (Mr.  Banks) — I  mean  the  salt  water,  not  the  banks. 
(Laughter.)  Around  the  well  and  kettles  of  my  native  river  cluster  those 
'.weet  saline  associations  which  have  preserved  me  ever  young!  They  are 
hard  to  resist. 

Another  argument  has  still  more  force.  The  gentleman  from  Mar)'- 
land  (Mr.  Ritchie)  begged  us  not  to  throttle  the  infantile  coal  interests 
of  his  beloved  Cumberland.     (Laughter.) 

Although  that  unhealthy  baby  has  been  fostered  by  a  "paternal  gov- 
ernment" on  "pap,"  or,  as  I  ought  to  say,  by  a  maternal  government 
on  milk  (laughter),  for  so  many  years,  its  power  of  suction  is  at  least 
forty  thousand  horse-power.  (Laughter.)  These  are  statistics.  (Laugh- 
ter.) Yet,  with  rare  economic  genius,  followed  by  the  eloquent  fiscal 
member  from  the  Kanawha  salt-works,  he  appealed  to  us  to  let  him  steal, 
so  long  as  other  sections  stole  from  him.  Vvas  there  ever  such  an  illus- 
tration as  that  just  made  on  the  gentleman  from  Massachusetts  (Mr.  But- 
ler)? The  gentleman  from  Missouri  (Mr.  Finkelnburg)  wanted  to  be 
so  honest  as  to  help  the  people  to  keep  pork  by  cheap  salt.  The  gentle- 
man from  Massachusetts  (Mr*  Butler)  wants  to  cheat  the  treasury  by 
free  salt  for  cod-fish.     This  is  all  larceny.     (Laughter.)     What  could  be 


202  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

more  reasonable  or  ethical?  Let  us  be  to  each  other  instruments  of 
reciprocal  rapine.  (Laughter.)  Michigan  steals  on  copper;  Maine  on 
lumber;  Pennsylvania  on  iron;  North  Carolina  on  peanuts;  Massachu- 
setts on  cotton  goods;  Connecticut  on  hairpins;  New  Jersey  on  spool- 
thread;  Louisiana  on  sugar;  and  so  on.  Why  not  let  the  gentleman  from 
Maryland  steal  coal  from  them?  True,  but  a  comparative  few  get  the 
benefit,  and  it  comes  cut  of  the  body  of  the  people;  true,  it  tends  to  high 
prices,  but  does  not  stealing  encourage  industry?  Let  us,  as  moralists,  if 
not  as  politicians,  rewrite  the  eighth  commandment:  "Thou  shalt  steal; 
because  stealing  is  right  when  common." 

As  I  am  a  representative  of  New  York,  and  Onondaga,  with  the  aid 
of  the  foreign  solar  artisan,  evaporates  salt,  ought  I  not  also  to  steal  to 
help  Onondaga?  Stealing  by  tariffs,  Mr.  Chairman,  is,  as  De  Quincy 
proved  of  murder,  a  fine  art.  If  everybody  stole  from  everybody,  is  there 
any  reproach  to  anybody?  (Laughter.)  If  everybody  is  a  burglar,  is 
there  any  need  for  anybody  to  lock  up  houses? 

The  mining  companies  out  West  send  their  ores  to  Wales  to  be  so 
refined  as  to  get  more  wealth.  It  ought  to  be  stopped.  Let  them  steal 
capital  out  of  Government!  Why  not  pilfer  something  out  of  somebody 
else's  earnings  and  build  works  in  Colorado  and  Nevada  like  those  in 
Wales?  How  happy  we  should  all  be  when  the  reproach  of  Goat  Island 
is  removed  from  the  Pacific,  and  from  the  gentleman  from  California  (IMr. 
Sargent)  (laughter)  by  a  grander  steal  for  wool  and  blankets!  How 
happy  we  should  be  when  we  can  look  each  other  in  the  face  here,  clasp 
hands,  as  now  I  look  into  the  face  of  the  gentleman  from  Massachusetts 
(Mr.  Dawes)  and  say,  "God  bless  you,  my  brother;  you  have  stolen  from 
me,  and  I  from  you;  let  us  love  one  another."     (Great  laughter.) 

This  principle  commends  itself  to  the  gentleman  from  Massachusetts 
(Mr.  Banks),  who  has  made  the  speech  on  the  subject  that  defights  my 
heart.  It  has  so  much  moderation  and  wisdom.  It  has  no  nonsense;  no 
doctrine  in  it.  It  is  based  on  the  principle  of  pure  and  undefiled  petit 
larceny.  He  would  not  steal  as  much  as  others,  but  to  steal  into  good 
company — he  would  steal  less.  There  is  then  not  so  much  motive  for  de- 
tection and  punishment.  Other  gentlemen  are  overdoing  it.  He  would 
steal  sixty  per  cent  less  than  others,  say  on  coal.  But  whether  petit  or 
srand  larceny,  the  results  are  such  that  when  every  "cove"  has  an  equal 
chance  at  the  swag,  William  Sykes  becomes  as  honorable  as  the  Artful 
Dodger,  whom  the  papers  liken  to  my  friend  from  Massachusetts  (Mr. 
Dawes.)  (Laughter.)  And  even  Oliver  Twist,  like  myself,  could  "ask 
for  more"  without  affecting  the  innocence  of  his  simple  nature!  (Laugh- 
ter.) 

A  few  more  statistics  and  I  subside.  (Laughter.)  How  beautifully 
this  thought  is  illustrated  by  the  well-laid  breakfast  table  of  my  colleague 
(Mr.  Brooks.)  The  happy  family  gathers  around  it;  grace  is  said;  God 
is  asked  to  "protect  us"  in  our  joint  and  several  efforts  to  steal!  One 
guest  pockets  the  knives  and  forks;  another  the  salt  and  salt-cellar;  another 
the  cream-jug,  plates,  and  sugar-bowl;  another  the  bread;   another  the 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMTTRE.  263 

potatoes;  another  the  plated  ware;  another  the  mutton-chop;  a  brawny 
Robert  Macaire  from  down  East  lifts  out  the  table;  while  a  sly  Jean 
Jacques,  to  encourage  domestic  cookery,  slips  into  the  kitchen,  puts  out 
the  fire,  and  carries  off  the  stove  and  coals.  (Laughter.)  The  guests 
look  at  each  other  innocently  and  say,  "We  have  done  all  this  to  increase 
the  general  comfort  and  to  make  free  with  the  breakfast  table.  (7-,augh- 
ter.)  Are  not  our  wolfish  appetites  assuaged?  Though  we  we- have  not 
each  a  general  glut  of  nourishment,  are  we  not  happy?  Is  there  not  left 
coffee  unground  and  unburned,  and  tea  undistilled,  sweetened  by  the 
memory  of  sugar  upon  an  absent  cloth,  and  covering  an  invisible  table!" 
I  was  about  to  produce  some  more  statistics.  They  are  so  powerful 
here.  I  will  ask  leave  to  print  one  thousand  copies  of  this  speech  at  the 
expense  of  the  Industrial  League  of  Philadelphia,  to  which  I  hear  no 
objection.      (Laughter.) 


House  oe  Representatives, 
Washington  City,  D.  C,  Dec.  7,  1873. 
On  Monday  last  the  two  houses  of  con,^ress  met  at  noon 
in  their  respective  chambers,  in  the  north  and  south  wing's 
of  the  capitol.  The  senate  having-  organized  by  law  on  the 
4th  of  March  last,  that  body  was  ready  to  proceed  immedi- 
ately to  business  upon  assembling  in  December;  but  the 
house  being  composed^  of  the  members  of  the  Forty-third 
congress,  was  obliged  to  first  perfect  its  organization  by  the 
election  of  its  officers  and  swearing  in  of  its  own  members, 
which  number  292  under  the  new  apportionment,  aside  from 
the  ten  delegates  from  the  territories — an  increase  of  fifty 
members  over  last  session.  Mr.  Blaine,  Republican,  was  elect- 
ed speaker  of  the  house  by  190  votes  against  yy  for  Fernando 
Wood.  Democrat,  and  a  few  scattering  votes.  Alexander 
Stephens,  ex-vice  president  of  the  Southern  Confederacy, 
who  is  now  a  member  of  the  Forty-third  congress,  received 
one  complimentary  vote  for  speaker.  Mr.  Stephens  is  a  lit- 
tle, old,  dried-up  man,  with  grey  hair,  a  sharp  eye.  and  a 
tottering  frame,  which  he  bears  feebly  to  his  seat,  supported 
by  crutches  and  the  arm  of  an  attendant.  The  remaining 
officers  of  the  house  were  elected  bv  about  the  same  vote  as 


264  SKETCHES  OF  COXGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

was  the  speaker,  after  which  came  the  swearine^  in  of  the 
delegates  from  the  territories. 

The  more  the  facts  of  the  Dakota  contest  become  fully 
understood  here  among  members,  the  more  astonishment  is 
expressed  that  the  high  executive  of  a  territory  ,could  so 
openly  and  boldly  violate  law  as  to  revoke  his  own  official 
acts.  and.  to  subserve  his  selfish  purposes,  attempt  to  deprive 
the  people  of  their  choice  at  election  by  securing  and  count- 
ing thousands  of  pretended  votes,  manufactured  on  the  wild 
prairies  a  hundred  miles  from  the  habitations  of  man.  in  no 
organized  county,  at  no  established  voting  precinct,  under 
no  official  seal,  but  counted  and  certified  by  officers  of  straw, 
secretly  appointed  by  the  governor  for  the  unlawful  purpose 
a  short  time  before  election. 

The  recent  proclamation  of  Acting  Governor  Whitney, 
revoking  the  former  order  of  Governor  Burbank  and  reas- 
signing Judges  Barnes  and  Shannon,  has  been  formally  laid 
before  the  proper  authorities  here,  and  while  the  attorney 
general  seems  to  concede  the  power  of  the  acting  governor 
in  the  premises  to  make  the  assignments  of  the  judges  in  the 
absence  of  a  territorial  enactment,  he  severely  condemns  the 
malignant  and  vindictive  spirit  of  Burbank  and  Whitney  in 
making  and  unmaking  proclamations  of  assignment  in  order 
to  satisfy  their  own  likes  or  dislikes.  Judge  Barnes  is  here, 
and  has  fairly  stated  the  whole  matter  to  the  proper  author- 
ities, and  I  must  say  that  he  expresses  the  highest  opinion 
of  his  associate,  Mr.  Shannon,  and  declares  his  willingness  to 
abide  by  what  the  department  may  decide  as  to  his  proper 
district.  Precedents  in  other  territories,  however,  seem  to 
be  in  Judge  Shannon's  favor,  inasmuch  as  most  territorial 
chief  justices  reside  at  the  capitol  of  the  territory.  Burbank 
and  Brookings  have'l)oth  been  working  hard  here  to  have 
Mr.  \\'hitney's  appointment  confirmed  by  the  senate,  and 
have  used  with  nuich  effect  the  reconunendations  of  the 
judges,  officials,  and  newspaper  men  of  Dakota  who  not  long 
ago  urged  his  apj)ointment.  but  are  now  asking  senators  to 


SKETCHES  OF  COXGRKSS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  265 

reject  him.  Quite  an  effort  is  also  beine^  made  to  secure 
United  vStates  Marshal  Burdick's  removal,  and  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  man  more  in  accord  with  the  Burbank  faction.  T 
am  also  informed  that  one  of  the  cabinet  officers  has  said 
that  the  administration  cannot  afford  to  retain  a  j^overnor  in 
Dakota  who  is  destroying  the  Republican  party  there,  and 
that  he  must  go  out — "peaceably  if  he-will.  but  forcibly  if 
he  must." 

The  secretary  of  the  interior  has  decided  to  remove  the 
Pembina  land  office  to  some  point  on  the  Northern  Pacific 
Railroad — either  Fargo,  Jamestown,  or  Bismarck. 


House  oe  Representatives, 
Washington  City.  D.  C.  Dec.  15.  1S73. 

Much  of  the  time  of  the  past  week  has  been  consumed  in 
debate  on  the  proposed  repeal  of  the  so-called  "salary,  bill," 
passed  by  the  last  congress. 

A  special  committee  was  raised  to  report  a  bill  for  the 
repeal  of  "back  pay  grab,"  and  in  accordance  therewith  the 
committee  brought  in  a  bill  reducing  the  pay  of  senators, 
members  and  delegates  from  the  present  increased  compen- 
sation to  the  old  salary  of  $5,000,  allowed  before  the  passage 
of  the  ,bill  of  March  3d  last,  with  a  further  reduction  below 
the  old  salary  by  allowing  no  mileage,  franking,  or  newspa- 
pers or  stationery  fund.  The  bill  was  open  to  three  days  of 
the  most  able  and  exhaustive  debate,  in  which  it  is  admitted 
on  all  sides  here  that  the  advocates  of  the  increase  of  salary 
made  the  strongest  speeches  and  got  the  best  of  the  argu- 
ment. The  bill  was  finally  recommitted  to  the  committee, 
with  instructions  to  report  back  a  bill  fixing  the  salary  at  the 
average  amount  received  by  members  as  yearly  compensation 
before  the  increase  took  effect,  including  mileage,  stationery' 
and  newspaper  fund,  which  will  make  the  salary  at  something 
less  than  $6,000,  or  over  $1,500  less  than  at  present. 


266  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

Hon.  Alexander  Stephens  is  conceded  to  have  given  the 
most  thorough  exposition  of  the  whole  salary  question  in  his 
eloquent  speech  of  a  half'hour.  He  stood  supported  by  a 
crutch  under  his  left  arm.  with  his  right  bracing  against  his 
desk.  His  face  is  as  white  as  driven  snow,  his  features  as 
fine  as  a  female's,  and  his  shriveled  frame,  weighing  but  nine- 
ty odd  pounds,  contains  all  his  latent  fires  of  eloquence  which 
find  vent  through  a  sharp,  strong  voice.  He  put  the  increase 
of  salaries  upon  the  broad  ground  of  political  economy,  and 
said  that  the  life  of  nations  depended  upon  keeping  its  wisest 
and  ablest  men  in  office,  and  that  a  republican  government 
ought  to  be  willing  and  able  to  compete  for  the  services  of 
men  of  brain  and  ability  against  the  large  and  tempting  sal- 
aries which  are  on  every  hand  oflfered  to  men  of  skilled  brain 
labor  by  the  commercial,  manufacturing  and  professional  in- 
terests of  the  countr}' ;  that  poor  salaries  were  an  induce- 
ment only  to  men  of  poor  .abilities ;  that  the  people  of  each 
congressional  district  ought  to  send  their  ablest  and  truest 
men  to  represent  them  in  congress,  and  that  he  should  re- 
ceive a  salarv  sufificient  to  pay  him  for  leaving  his  own  busi- 
ness and  going  to  Washington  to  attend  to  theirs.  He  fur- 
ther intimated  that,  had  the  country  been  represented  in 
congress  and  the  cabinet  by  its  wisest  and  greatest  men  in 
1 86 1,  the  cruel  and  expensive  war  of  the  Southern  States 
would  have  been  prevented,  and  our  great  national  debt 
avoided.  Referring  to  the  nrguments  of  members  who  ex- 
pressed their  own  conviction  that  the  increased  salaries  w^ere 
no  more  than  just,  but  that  the  clamor  of  the  people  said  it 
was  too  high,  and  they  would  therefore  obey  the  voice  of 
the  people,  he  said  that  the  cry  of  the  people  was  not  always 
right,  that  the  sham  demagogue  or  politician  always  fell  in 
with  and  pandered  to  the  clamor  of  the  nmltitudes,  while  the 
true  statesman  would  feel  of  the  people's  pulse,  like  a  physi- 
cian to  his  patient,  and  would  reason,  advise,  direct  and  lead 
them.  ' 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  1^^rTMRI•,  267 

Mr.  Garfield  of  Ohio  followed  Mr.  Stephens  and  took  an 
opposite  view  of  the  matter,  claiming  that  public  opinion  was 
like  the  ocean,  though  at  times  lashed  into  temporary  excite- 
ment and  ebullition,  it  would  finally  settle  down  into  a  peace- 
ful calm,  marking  with  accuracy  the  great  levels  of  the  earth. 
Thus  he  said  it  was  in  this  salary  matter,  public  opinion  had 
settled  down  to  the  decision  that  the  increase  of  compensa- 
tion was  too  much.  A  member  sitting  near  him  hinted  that 
public  opinion,  like  the  ocean,  had  not  got  over  the  storm 
yet,  and  that  when  it  did  it  might  settle  down  at  the  "water- 
mark— $7,500." 

Sunset  Cox  also  was  nuite  severe  on  his  Democratic 
friends  who  had  taken  the  back  pay  and  "now  had  the  stolen 
lucre  in  the-'r  pockets,"  whereupon  a  number  of  members 
oflFered  to  be  searched  and  divide.  It  Avas  left  for  Crossland 
of  Kentucky — the  land  of  Daniel  Boone — to  completely 
squelch  the  virtuous  Cox  by  presenting  the  figures  to  show 
that  although  he  fCox)  was  not  elected  till  November  last, 
he  had  drawn  over  $3,000  back  pay  since  June,  dating  from, 
the  expiration  of  the  term  of  the  lamented  Brooks,  thus  draw- 
ing pay  for  several  months  when  not  a  member. 

Mr.  Lawrence  of  Ohio  vyas  likewise  most  cruelly  rebuked, 
after  making  a  virtuous  speech  against  back  pay,  by  Judge 
Wilson  of  Indiana,  who  rose  and  quoted  from  a  Globe  of  1866, 
showing  that  Mr.  Lawrence  was  then  a  member  of  congress, 
and  voted  for  and  received  nearly  $4,000  back  pay,  running 
back  to  the  first  day  of  the  session. 

Old  Alva  Crocker  of  Massachusetts,  who  is  worth  half  a 
million  dollars,  created  quite  a  laugh  in  his  speech  by  reach- 
ing down  toward  his  pocket  to  show  "where  he  had  it."  and 
declared  that  it  should  remain  there  until  the  newspapers  and 
the  men  who  wanted  his  place  stopped  calling  him  a  "thief." 

A  bill  has  been  prepared  by  the  postoffice  committee  of 
the  house,  and  will  undoubtedly  pass,  providing  for  sencfing 
seeds,  documents  and  public  matter  through  the  mails  free, 
also  providing  for  the  free  transmission  of  newspapers.     The 


268  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

private  correspondence  of  members  of  congress  is  not  in- 
cluded in  the  bill  as  free  mail  matter.  Every  available  store 
room  in  the  capitol  building-  is  crowded  with  books  and  doc- 
uments awaiting  the  passage  of  the  law. 

The  committee  on  rules  have  decided  to  report  to  the 
house  in  favor  of  appointing  territorial  delegates  to  serve  on 
the  committee  of  public  lands,  Indian  affairs,  mines  and  min- 
ing, private  land  claims,  and  territories.  When  these  ap- 
pointments arc  made  the  territories  will  have  much  more 
power  in  congress  than  now,  and  will  have  an  opportunity 
of  laying  all  their  measures  fairly  before  the  proper  commit- 
tees. 

The  Cuban  excitement  does  not  seem  to  disturb  the  equi- 
librium of  senators  and  members  so  much  as  it  does  the 
newspapers  of  the  lan-d.  which  are  increasing  their  circulation 
and  sales  by  publishing  sensational  dispatches  to  catch  the 
eager  eye  and  ear  of  the  American  people. 

The  resolution  of  Mr.  Cox  in  the  house,  declaring  the 
Cubans  the  right  to  be  acknowledged  by  America  as  a  bel- 
ligerent power,  Avas  smothered  in  the  house  by  a  two-thirds 
vote.  Mr.  Cox  afterwards  charged  the  New  England  mem- 
bers as  great  sticklers  for  sectional  war,  but  cowards  when 
our  national  honor  was  assailed  by  a  foreign  power.  Gen- 
eral Hawley  of  Connecticut  jumped  to  his  feet  shaking  his 
fist,  and  exclaimed :  "I  will  show  you  who  are  cowards,  if 
you  want  to  know."     Cox  didn't  want  to  know  just  them. 

The  state  department  anticipates  no  further  trouble  with 
Spain  now  that  the  Virginius  is  on  her  way  back  to  be  de- 
livered up. 

Governor  Burbank  resigned  soon  after  Brookings  was 
not  sworn  in  as  delegate  under  the  governor's  fraudulent  cer- 
tificate. Mr.  Pennington  of  Alabama  has  been  appointed 
governor,  to  take  effect  January  ist.  He  is  an  appointee  of 
Senator  Spencer,  and  has  held  many  positions  of  public  trust. 
This  is  the  first  Southern  governor  Dakota  ever  had. 


SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  ^69 

Acting  Governor  Whitney  has  been  instructed  to  rescind 
his  proclamation,  on  the  ground  that  Judge  Barnes  ought,  not 
to  be  kicked  out  of  his  district  through  the  spite  of  the  gov- 
ernor and  his  aide.  The  attorney  general  approves  of  a  law 
to  allow  the  three  judges  to  arrange  their  own  sessions  in  the 
different  districts,  after  the  legislature  has  defined  the  bound- 
aries. 

]\Jr.  Ramsey  in  the  senate  and  Mr.  Armstrong  in  the 
house,  have  introduced  bills  to  establish  the  Territory  of 
Pembina  out  of  the  northern  part  of  Dakota. 


House  oe  Representatives, 
Washington  City,  D.  C,  Dec.  20,  1873. 
The  senate  has  confirmed  the  appointment  of  Hon.  John 
L.  Pennington  of  Alabama  to  be  governor  of  Dakota,  and 
Oscar  Whitney  to  be  secretary.  Mr.  Harmon  Silver  of  Illi- 
nois has  also  been  appointed  United  States  marshal  for  the 
territory.  The  new  governor  was  a  member  of  the  state 
senate  of  Alabama,  and  took  an  active  part  in  the  election  of 
Mr.  Spencer  to  the  United  States  senate.  Senator  Spencer, 
in  turn,  very  naturally  secured  Mr.  Penningron  an  appoint- 
^nent  under  the  administration,  and  the  appointment  being 
charged  to  the  State  of  Alabama,  resulted  in  relieving  United 
States  Marshal  Burdick.  who  was  also  from  that  state.  Mr. 
Silver,  the  new  marshal,  is  of  German  descent,  is  a  man  of 
high  education,  speaks  several  languages,  and  has  traveled 
extensively  in  foreign  countries.  His  health  has  become 
somewhat  impaired,  and  he  sought  this  appointment  under 
the  clear  skies  and  invigorating  climate  of  Dakota  in  prefer- 
ence to  going  elsewhere.  No  charges  were  filed  against 
Marshal  Burdick,  although  he  and  Governor  Burbank  had 
given  the  department  much  trouble  in  taking  opposite  and 
persistent  sides  in  the  quarrel  growing  out  of  the  assignment 
of  judges  and  renting  of  courtrooms,  etc. 


2/0  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

President  Grant  told  one  of  the  territorial  delegates  last 
week  that  he  had  become  con\inced  that  he  could  not  adhere 
to  the  policy  of  making  territorial  appointments  from  among 
the  citizens  thereof,  as  he  had  formerly  indicated  his  desire 
to  do.  He  says  that  in  most  of  the  territories  (Dakota 
particularly)  there  seems  to  be  two  Republican  parties  or 
divisions,  each  of  which  is  continually  remonstrating  against 
the  appointment  to  or  retention  in  office  of  any  member  of 
the  opposing  faction.  Hence  he  had  about  made  up  his 
mind  that  the  only  way  to  preserve  peace  out  there  was  to 
send  in  good  and  new  men  from  the  states.  The  secretary 
of  the  interior,  under  whose  charge  the  territorial  officials 
have  been  placed  by  law,  further  says  that  he  is  determined 
to  have  peace  in  Dakota  if  it  has  to  be  done  at  the  sacrifice  of 
further  removals  from  office.  It  is  believed  that  Secretary 
\\  hitney  will  prove  himself  a  good  officer  when  not  surround- 
ed by  scheming  influences. 

It  is  admitted  that  courtesy  and  custom  award  to  the 
chief  justice  the  choice  of  residing  at  the  capital  of  the  terri- 
tory when  the  supreme  court  is  held,  and  it  is  believed  that 
the  new  governor  will  so  arrange  the  matter  until  the  next 
session  of  the  legislature. 

The  following  circular  was  issued  yesterday : 

Department  oe  the  Interior, 
Washington,  Dec.  19,  1873. 
From  and  after  the  first  day  of  January,  1874,  the  absence  from  his 
post  of  duty  of  any  territorial  or  other  of^cer  under  the  control  of  this 
department,  without  especial  permission,  will  be  accepted  as  a  tender  of 
his  resignation,  and  will  be  acted  upon  accordingly.  Any  officer  asking 
leave  of  absence  will  accompany  his  request  with  a  statement  of  the  cause 
for  making  such  a  request.  The  frequent,  and  it  is  believed  often  un- 
necessary, absence  of  officers  under  the  control  of  this  department  from 
their  posts  of  duty,  with  or  without  leave,  has  occasioned  such  incon- 
venience and  detriment  to  the  public  service  as  to  render  this  order  im- 
peratively necessary. 

C.  Delano,  Secretary. 


SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.        ^-/l 

Quite  a  contest  is  being  instituted  here  before  the  chief 
clerk  of  the  house  for  the  printing  of  the  laws  of  congress  in 
two  of  the  territorial  papers,  as  provided  by  law.  I  believe 
all  the  Republican  papers  in  the  territory  have  applications 
and  recommendations  on  file.  W.  F.  Kiter  of  the  Sioux 
Falls  Pantagraph  is  here,  and  is  backed  by  Congressman  Kas- 
son  of  Iowa  and  others,  Mr.  Kiter  havuig  once  been  a  resident 
of  Council  JJiuff,  in  that  state.  Burbank  works  for  the 
Springfield  Times,  and  others  have  recommended  the  Yankton 
Consolidator.  Dr.  Burleigh  is  here,  and  has  had  his  "put  in" 
on  the  subject.  Ex-Secretary  VVilkins  and  ex-Secretary 
Batchelder  have  also  a  preference  and  a  spite  to  gratify  in 
the  selection  of  Dakota  newspapers.  Delegate  ,  Armstrong 
has  not  interfered  in  the  matter,  inasmuch  as  all  the  newspa- 
pers which  are  applicants  for  the  printing  opposed  his  elec- 
tion. 

A  bill  has  passed  both  houses,  appropriating  $4,000,000 
to  defray  the  expenses  incurred  by  Secretary  Robeson  in 
equipping  war  vessels  for  Cuban  waters  in  anticipation  of  the 
threatened  conflict  with  Spain.  The  marine  force  was  also 
authorized  to  be  increased  to  10,000  men.  But  the  antici- 
pated troubles  have  been  settled  without  a  resort  to  arms — 
how  honorably  to  America  is  a  matter  of  doubt,  for  the  pres- 
ent. 

The  house  passed  a  bill  last  week  reducing  the  salaries  of 
members  of  congress  to  $6,000,  without  mileage,  postage, 
or  stationery,  leaving  the  salaries  of  all  pther  officers  the  same 
as  increased  by  the  law  of  last  spring.  The  vote  was  131  to 
130,  thirty  members  being  absent,  as  it  was  a  night  session. 

The  debate  ran  through  the  week,  and  was  very  bitter 
in  recriminations  upon  fellow  members.  Mr.  Hale  of  New 
York  called  Wilson  of  Indiana  a  "dirty  dog,"  and  Wilson  re- 
torted by  accusing  Hale  of  ,  wearing  a  "dirty  shirt"  while 
preaching  purity.  Ben  Butler  struck  out  for  "Sunset  Cox," 
by  asserting  that  the  death  of  Brooks  elected  him  to  congress 


2/-  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

after  the  people  had  rejected  him,  and  that  nothing  but  death 
could  have  ever  sent  him  back  here.  Eldridge  of  Wiscon- 
sin sustained  the  justice  of  the  present  salaries,  and  denounced 
those  members  who  claimed  that  a  representative  of  the  peo- 
ple should  bow  down  to  every  puff  of  public  opinion,  which, 
said  he,  once  nailed  the  Saviour  to  the  cross,  has  burned  mar- 
tyrs at  the  stake,  and  incited  mobs  in  the  streets.  It  is  not 
always  right ;   it  may  be  wrong. 

The  senate  seems  disposed  to  lead  off  in  taking  some  steps 
to  relieve  the  finances  of  the  country,  while  in  the  house  too 
many  doctors  are  likely  to  kill  the  patient.  The  secretary 
of  the  treasury  has  sent  in  a  communication  stating  that  the 
revenues  of  the  country  are  falling  short  at  the  rate  of  over  a 
million  dollars  a  month,  and  to  prevent  the  bankruptcy  of 
the  treasury  it  is  proposed  to  restore  the  tax  on  tea  and  cof- 
fee and  increase  the  tax  ^on  whisky  and  tobacco.  The  bank- 
rupt law  is  also  being  revised  by  both  houses  of  congress, 
and  prominent  men  declare  that  "we  are  approaching  the  day 
when  the  sponge  will  have  to  be  wiped  over  millions  of  obli- 
gations as  the  only  means  by  which  paralyzed  energies  may 
be  restored  and  imprisoned  activities  released." 

The  holiday  recess  of  congress  during  the  present  em- 
barrassed condition  of  the  country  is  considered  unfortunate. 

President  Grant's  appointment  of  Attorney  General 
Williams  to  the  chief  justiceship  of  the  United  States  still 
hangs  fire  in  the  senate  awaiting  confirmation.  The  com- 
mittee on  judiciary  are  not  entirely  convinced  of  his  inno- 
cence of  the  charges  that  have  been  preferred  against  him. 
The  action  of  President  Grant  in  appointing  Mr.  Williams 
to  this  high  position  is  generally  pronounced  as  "an  indefen- 
sible piece  of  personal  favoritism." 

Congress  will,  undoubtedly,  amend  the  timber  culture 
act,  so  as  to  allow  settlers  three  years  for  breaking  prairie  and 
planting  trees. 


SKIvTCllIvS  <)!■  COXGRKSS  AND  WIvSTKRX  K MPIKr:.  2/3 

House  of  RivprKskntativks, 
Washington  City.  D.  C.  Jan.  i.  i<S74. 

This  is  the  first  day  of  the  new  year,  the  da^-  in  whicli 
to  turn  over  a  "new  leaf."  make  "new  ]:)leds;'es,"  "swear  off." 
etc..  and  decide  always  to  lead  a  better  life.  Here  in  Wash- 
ington, at  the  capital  of  the  nation,  "open  houses"  are  kept 
by  the  president,  cabinet  and  hundreds  of  others;  and  in  ac- 
cordance with  this  time-honored  custom  the  morning  ])apers 
contained  three  columns  of  the  names  of  distinguished  per- 
sons who  would  "rccei\-e"  on  Xew  Year's  day.  The  gener- 
oiis  and  considerate  ladies  have  banished  wines  from  their 
tables  and  proffer  to  their  callers  only  coffee,  cake  and  oys- 
ters. 

'  By  eleven  o'clock  in  the  forenoon  the  throng  at  the  ])resi- 
dent's  mansion  was*immense.  and  still  increasing.  The  gaily 
attired  marine  band  was  stationed  near  the  main  entrance 
to  the  White  House,  and  discoursed  most  enchanting  music, 
while  the  long  procession  filed  in.  consisting  of  judges  of  su- 
preme court,  cabinet  ofiicers.  members  of  'congress,  army 
and  navy  officers,  and  thousands  of  citizens.  The  president 
and  Mrs.  Grant  received  all  with  a  smile  and  a  hand  shake. 
and  remained  standing  through  the  long  hours  from  eleven 
till  three  o'clock. 

Secretary  Fish  and  lady  also  received  a  numerous  host 
of  friends,  and  the  army  of  carriages  that  congregated  in 
front  of  his  door  led  many  to  belie\-e  that  the  old  Ctiban 
diplomatist  had  the  steamer  Virginius  on  exhibition  "then 
and  there."  Many  went  into  the  back  room  to  see  the  Vir- 
ginius and  drink  cofifee,  but  were  required  to  look  through  a 
"glass"  in  order  to  see  it. 

Mrs.  Speaker  Blaine  and  ]\Irs.  i^^ernando  Wood,  near 
neighbors  of  Secretary  Fish  and  family,  were  also  the  reci- 
pients of  numerous  calls  from  a  large  circle  of  accpiaintances. 
I  noticed  a  string  of  territorial  delegates  i)utting  in  their  ap- 
pearance and   enjoying  themselves  at   all   these   places,   and 


2/4  SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

Speaker  Blaine  aptly  remarked  that  they  represented  in  con- 
gress nearly  half  the  total  area  of  the  United  States. 

The  old  year  was  tolled  out  of  existence  last  night  at 
twelve  o'clock  by  the  chiming  of  bells  on  the  president's 
church,  while  the  firing  of  guns  and  the  sound  of  music  was 
heard  upon  the  streets  long  after  midnight.  The  moon  shone 
beautifully  over  the  sleeping  city,  lighting  the  new  year  in 
upon  the  world. 

The  weather  here  for  New  Year's  day  is  as  mild  and  pleas- 
ant as  April.  The  grass  is  green  in  the  parks,  and  steam- 
boats and  tugs  are  plying  upon  the  open  Potomac. 

Notwithstanding  that  the  New  Year  is  ushered  in  so  pro- 
pitiously and  smilingly  by  nature,  there  is  a  look  upon  the 
faces  of  the  people  indicating  that  all  has  not  gone  right  dur- 
ing the  year  just  past. 

Our  national  finances  are  failing.  Factories,  banks,  and 
commercial  houses  have  been  closed,  many  men  have  been 
ruined,  and  thousands  thrown  out  of  employment  for  the 
winter.  The  feeling  appears  to  be  everywhere  manifest  that 
we  have  been  living  too  fast,  that  the  national  revenues  have 
been  badly  managed,  and  that  the  financial  credit  and  sta- 
bility of  our  government  have  become  sadly  impaired  at  home 
and  abroad  during  the  year  just  ended. 

We  have  been  rushing  ahead  in  all  the  departments  of 
business,  never  seeming  to  realize  the  impending  weight  of 
our  national  debt  or  the  annual  interest  of  over  a  million  of 
dollars  which  we  are  required  to  pay  in  coin, — the  gold  in- 
terest on  our  debt  alone  being  each  year  more  than  the  an- 
nual yield  of  all  our  mines.  The  census  of  1870  shows  the 
official  valuation  of  all  property  in  .the  United  States  to  be 
$30,000,000,000,  while  the  aggregate  amount  of  our  national 
debt  to-day  is  $12,000,000,000,  including  all  debts  of  public 
nature,  as  the  debts  of  states,  cities,  corporations,  etc.  Hence 
it  will  be  seen  that  we  owe,  as  a  nation,  nearly  one-half  our 
wealth,  and  are  paying  interest  on  that  amount  at  an  average 
of  four  per  cent. 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  2/5 

There  is  no  more  circulating-  cnrrency  in  tlie  country  to- 
day than  there  was  during  the  war,  notwithstanding  we  have 
added  over  two  milHons  to  our  population,  have  invested  over 
$80,000,000  in  new  railroads,  have  opened  mines  of  fabulous 
richness,  and  have  nearly  doubled  the  productive  power  of 
the  country.  Never  has  our  annual  production  of  grain,  cot- 
ton, tobacco,  wool  and  metals  equaled  what  it  has  during  the 
past  year,  and  yet  1873  closes  with  more  suffering  and  less 
money  in  circulation  than  at  any  time  since  the  war. 

Prominent  financial  men  account  for  this  state  of  things 
in  various  ways,  but  they  all  agree  upon  one  point,  and  that 
is  that  there  is  not  money  enough  in  circulation  to  carry  on 
the  business  of  the  country ;  that  we  have  been  doing  busi- 
ness with  each  other  too  much  upon  credit,  and  that  when 
confidence  fails  and  everybody  calls  for  cash  payments  there 
is  not  money  enough  to  meet  the  demand ;  hence,  business 
stops  and  banks  break. 

The  late  panic  has  proven  that  the  national  government 
must  mcrease  the  volume  of  its  currency  in  proportion  to  the 
growth  of  its  population,  the  increase  of  its  business,  and  the 
number  of  its  workmen. 

The  wheels  of  business  will  stop  unless  money  is  made 
so  plenty  that  all  can  obtain  it,  furnishing  the  proper  security. 
The  great  railroad  king,  Thomas  Scott,  says  that  our  govern- 
ment should  make  money  so  abundant  that  our  great  cor- 
porations can  borrow  at  home,  instead  of  going  to  Europe 
to  negotiate  large  loans  and  pay  our  interest  to  foreign  pow- 
ers. Money  cannot  be  obtained  in  a  country  where,  like  ours, 
there  is  no  money  to  loan,  any  more  than  one  man  can  bor- 
row ten  dollars  of  his  neighbor  who  has  but  five  in  the  house. 
The  trouble  with  America  is  that  she  has  not  got  the  money 
■'in  the  house,"  and  is  continually  sending  across  the  water 
to  borrow  of  her  neighbors.  There  is  not  coin  and  currency 
enough  *m  the  United  States  to-day  to  carry  on  the  business 
of  the  country  six  months,  if  everything  was  reduced  to  a  cash 
basis. 


2/6  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AXD  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

We  must  make  for  ourselves  "credit""  in  the  shape  of 
''promises  to  pay" ;  or,  as  Mr.  Scott  says,  "a  good  and  abund- 
ant United  States  currency  at  cheap  rates,  like  that  of  France 
or  England.""  Then  no  panic  can  prostrate  and  paralyze  the 
industries  of  the  nation. 


MoT'SE  oE  Rki'RESKntatives, 
Washington,  D.  C,  Jan.  8,  1874. 
Congress  reassem])led  at  twelve  o'clock  on  Monday  last, 
after  a  holiday  recess  of  sixteen  days.  Many  members  went 
home  during  the  recess  to  feel  of  the  jnilse  of  their  constitu- 
ents, and  ascertain  if  the  "back  pay  indignation""  had  cooled 
off  any  since  winter  set  in.  Others,  especially  the  members 
of  important  committees,  remained  here  at  work  during  the 
holidays.  Upon  the  reconvening"  of  the  two  houses  on  Mon- 
day a  flood  of  several  hundred  bills,  resolutions  and  petitions 
were  poured  in  upon  the  journals,  until  the  galleries  began 
to  believe  that  the  country  would  be  deluged  with  laws.  But 
the  scene  at  last  changed.  \\'hen  the  states  and  territories 
had  all  been  called  through,  and  the  hour  of  debate  began,  it 
seemed  as  though  every  member  had  returned  with  the  in- 
tention of  ])aying  his  constituents  for  his  increased  salary  in 
printed  speeches.  Mr.  Butler"s  civil  rights  bill  was  soon  be- 
fore the  house,  and  Alexander  Stephens  was  awarded  an 
hour"s  time  to  speak  in  opposition  to  the  bill  and  negro 
equality,  and  the  same  time  for  re])ly  was  assigned  to  the  col- 
ored member  from  South  Carolina.  Mr.  Klliot.  Tn  anticipa- 
tion of  the  debate,  which  had  been  announced  in  the  morn- 
ing papers,  the  galleries  were  ]:)acked  with  colored  people 
until  the  very  hall  looked  dark.  More  than  two-thirds  of 
the  seats  were  occupied  by  ]:)ersons  of  color,  which  may  be 
easily  accounted  for  when  it  is  remembered  that  the  negroes 
poll  nearly  one-half  of  the  total  vote  iu  the  District  of  Co- 
hmibia,  and  furnish  ([uite  as  many  colored  ohildrou  in  the 
public  schools  as  do  the  whites. 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AXD  WlvSTlvRN  KM  I'l  KlC.  2/7 

Mr.  Stephens  took  his  position  l^ehind  a  pack  of  lar^e  law 
books,  placed  n])on  his  desk  in  such  a  manner  that  he  could 
lean  upon  them  without  the  su])])i>n  of  his  accustomed 
crutches,  and  delivered  his  speech  from  manuscript.  He  first 
gave  the  sul)stance  of  the  bill,  which,  in  brief,  imposes  a  fine 
of  from  $100  to  $5,000  upon  an)  jx/rson  or  corporation  who 
shall  make  any  distinction  against  ])ersons  of  color  in  an\- 
public  hotel,  theater,  stage  coach,  railroad  car,  |)ublic  school, 
benevolent  institution,  cemetery,  etc.,  the  action  for  dam- 
ages to  be  l)rought  before  any  territorial,  district  or  cii->- 
cuit  court  of  the  United  States  having  jurisdiction  where  the 
offense  was  connnilted.  Against  such  a  bill  Mr.  Ste])hens 
naturally  took  determined  grounds,  and  argued  its  provisions 
with  fervor  and  ability,  but  elicited  nothing  particularly  new 
upon  this  vexed  and  troublesome  (juestion  of  etpial  rights, 
which  grows  out  of  that  plain  declaration  that  "all  men  are 
born  free  and  equal."  Mr.  Harris  of  Virginia,  who  also  spoke 
on  the  same  side  of  the  question,  was  unnecessarily  severe 
upon  the  black  race,  and  went  to  such  an  indecent  extreme 
as  to  refuse  to  answer  a  question  from  a  colored  member, 
haughtily  exclaiming  that  he  was  speaking  to  white  men  and 
not  to  negroes. 

The  next  morning  Mr.  Elliot,  the  colored  member  from 
South  Carolina,  was  awarded  the  floor  for  one  hour,  and  de- 
livered one  of  the  best  speeches  of  the  session  in  behalf  of 
civil  rights  for  his  own  colored  race.  His  speech  had  been 
well  prepared  and  written  and  submitted  to  revision  by  a  few 
leading  Republicans  before  delivery.  Tt  was  courteous,  able 
and  eloquent,  and  drew  storms  of  ap])lause  from  the  g^alleries 
and  the  floor.  Sympathy  was  on  the  side  of  the  speaker,  in- 
asmuch as  he  was  the  representative  of  a  long  oppressed 
race,  and  as  he  dwelt  feelingly  upon  their  many  wrongs  and 
sufferings  the  tears  were  seen  to  drop  from  the  eye  of  many 
a  Republican  member.  T  did  not  see  any  wet  eyes  among  the 
Democrats,  but  some  of  them  wore  unusually  long  faces,  and 
said:     ''That  nigger's  speech  has  done  more  to  elevate  his 


2/8  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

own  race,  in  my  estimation,  than  all  the  white  advocates  I 
ever  heard."  Ben  Butler  finally  closed  the  debate  with  one 
of  his  bold  and  characteristic  speeches.  He  strongly  advo- 
cated equal  rights  for  the  colored  race,  and  said  that  in  the 
late  war  he  had  seen  the  black  troops  -forced  to  the  front  ot 
battle,  and  while  placed  under  the  "very  fires  of  hell,"  charge 
upon  the  enemy's  works  and  raise  aloft  with  their  "brave 
black  arms"  that  flag  of  our  country  which  had  always  borne 
for  them  "all  stripes  and  no  stars  of  hope ;"  and  that  when  the 
battle  was  over  he  saw  543  black  soldiers  lying  dead  in  a 
narrow  gorge  no  larger  than  the  floor  of  this  house,  where 
they  had  been  mowed  down  under  the  cannon's  mouth.  He 
then,  by  way  of  a  political  stroke,  said  that  the  negroes  always 
voted  the  Republican  ticket,  whereupon  a  Democratic  mem- 
ber from  Kentucky  corrected  him  by  stating  that  two-thirds 
of  the  colored  votes  in  the  Louisville  district  had  voted  for 
himself,  a  Democrat,  to  represent  them  in  congress.  Ben 
retorted  by  saying  that  this  was  the  first  time  he  ever  saw  a 
Democrat  proud  of  receiving  negro  votes.  The  bill  was 
then  recommitted  with  amendments. 

The  salary  bill  has  received  a  good  share  of  attention  in 
the  senate  discussion  during  the  past  week.  Senator  Flana- 
gan created  quite  a  laugh  by  shaking  his  back-pay  green- 
backs in  the  face  of  the  senate,  and  defving  any  power  to 
take  it  away  from  him.  He  said  the  salary  ought  to  be  $10,- 
000  a  year  instead  of  $7,500.  Senator  'vStewart,  who  is 
wealthy,  also  opposed  any  reduction  of  salary.  Senator 
Ferry  of  Connecticut  boldly  advocated  the  present  increased 
salaries,  and  declared  that  he  was  sick  of  this  demagogical 
talk  that  the  will  of  the  people  was  law  and  that  congress  was 
its  servant.  He  said  that  when  that  time  comes,  then  shall 
we  see  the  September  days  of  the  revolution  in  France.  He 
gave  an  ugly  thrust  to  those  members  of  both  houses  who 
had  voted  for  and  received  the  increased  salary,  but  had  since 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  thev  were  defraudiug  the  people 
who  were  telling  them  it  was  their  duty  to  resign  and  come 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTKRN  KMPTRE.  ^79 

home.  Senator  Wright  of  Iowa  stands  squarely  by  his  original 
proposition  to  reduce  the  salaries  to  their  former  figures  in 
the  Forty-second  congress,  and  claims  that  it  is  the  duty  of 
the  representatives  of  the  people,  in  the  present  unfortunate 
condition  of  the  country,  to  commence  curtailing  the  ex- 
penses of  the  government  by  reducing  their  own  salaries. 
Many  senators  also  who  voted  for  the  increased  salaries  last 
spring  now  avow  their  intention  to  vote  for  Senator  Wright's 
bill;  not  because  they  think  the  present  compensation  is  too 
much,  but  because  their  constituents  are  dissatisfied. 

The  International  Workingmen's  Association  have  peti- 
tioned congress  to  enact  a  law  to  encourage  the  settlement 
of  the  West  similar  to  the  laws  in  force  in  Canada.  Bra^^il, 
Australia  and  other  countries,  whereby  the  United  States 
shall  furnish  to  immigrants  for  the  A¥est  with  transportation 
for  themselves  and  families,  and  also  lumber,  tools,  seed, 
food  and  other  necessaries  in  opening  a  farm  for  the  first 
year,  the  cost  of  the  same  to  be  a  mortgage  on  their  farm  at 
seven  per  cent  interest,  payable  in  ten  years.  Such  a  measure 
will  receive  the  earnest  attention  of  congress  at  an  early  day. 

The  United  States  land  office  at  Pembina,  in  Dakota,  has 
been  ordered  by  the  president  removed  to  Fargo,  and  will 
be  officially  opened  for  business  at  the  latter  place  before 
spring  immigration  sets  in.  A  bill  for  a  new  land  office  at 
Bismarck  is  strongly  indorsed  by  the  Minnesota  delegation 
in  congress,  and  also  meets  the  approval  of  the  commissioner 
of  the  general  land  office.  It  is  also  believed  that  within 
another  year  the  Springfield  office  will  be  removed  farther 
north  to  accommodate  the  rapidly  increasing  settlements  in 
the  upper  valley  of  the  James  river. 

Marshal  Burdick  has  been  reinstated  in  office.  The  presi- 
dent withdrew  the  name  of  Silver,  upon  receiving  proof  that 
Mr.  Burdick  had  proved  a  faithful  officer.  Dr.  Burleigh  has 
filed  charges  against  Judge  Barnes,  accusing  him  of  official 
favoritism  and  incompetency,  and  of  appointing  a  drunken 
relative  as  clerk  of   his  court.     Surveyor    General    Dewey's 


28o  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AXD  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

estimate  for  siir\eys  in  Dakota  next  vear  has  l)een  reduced 
to  $60,000,  under  the  call  for  reduction  in  the  annual  ex- 
penses. 


House  of  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C,  Jan.  15,  1874. 
The  ])rincii)al  topic  of  excitement  in  Washington  during 
the  ])ast  week  has  l)een  the  ])()litical  muddle  l)et\veen  the  pres- 
ident and  the  L'nited  States  senate  over  the  cliief  justiceship. 
After  the  Avithdrawal  of  Attorney  General  \Mlliams'  name 
and  the  sul)Stitution  of  that  of  Caleb  Cushing",  an  old-time 
Democrat,  rumors  were  rife  among  radical  Republicans  that 
President  Grant  was  fast  becoming  a  second  Andrew  John- 
son, and  that  he  and  the  senate  were  about  to  measure  swords 
in  order  to  decide  who  was  the  acknowledged  head  of  the 
party  in  ])Ower.  ^fhe  president  certainly  took  a  bold  and  in- 
dependent stand  when  he  sent  to  the  senate  the  name  of  so 
venerable  a  Democrat  as  ]\Ir.  Cushing,  and  he  made  the  ap- 
pointment out  of  his  high  regard  for  the  man's  eminent  and 
unsurpassed  qualifications  for  the  highest  judicial  office  in 
the  'land.  The  Republican  press  here  were  about  e(|ually 
divided  in  their  expressions  for  and  against  the  president's 
action,  and  those  journals  and  ])ublic  men  who  had  been 
loudest  through  the  summer  in  proclainu'ng  that  the  chief 
justice  of  the  United  States  should  be  selected  without  re- 
gard to  his  ])arty  affiliations  were  the  first  to  assail  the  presi- 
dent for  not  making  the  ai)pointmcnt  from  the  ranks  of  the 
Republican  party.  The  enemies  of  Mr.  Cushing  went  1"»ack 
to  the  musty  records  of  the  Rebellion  of  i86r,  and  produced 
a  letter  wherein  Cushing  had  kindlv  introduced  a  voung 
friend  to  Je.Terson  Davis,  then  i)resident  of  the  v'^outhern 
Confederacy.  This  letter  had  too  much  "poisonable  treason" 
in  it  for  the  senate  to  take  down  in  one  dose  of  confirmation, 
but  when  it  was  presented  to  the  president  he  coollv  remarked 
thnt  he  saw  nf)thing  .alarming  in  it  ;    for.  said  he.  the  l\e])ub- 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  \V  i:STi:  R.\   EMPIRE.  28  I 

Hcan  party  is  full  of  men  wlio  were  strong'  Democrats  until 
tlie  Reliellion  of  1861,  and  he  intimated  tliat  some  of  this  same 
class  were  now  occupying  seats  112  the  senate.  Notwithstand- 
ing-all this,  upon  the  formal  re(|uest  of  the  senate  connnittee, 
the  i)resident  withdrew  Mr.  Cushing's  name,  and  e\cryI)ody 
is  now  incjuiring,  "Who  next?" 

The  senate  for  the  past  few  days  has  been  tinkering  and 
doctoring-  away  at  our  failing-  finances.  Nearly  every  sena- 
tor has  a  speech  bottled  up,  which,  when  uncorked  and  ap- 
plied to  the  patient,  he  believes  will  speedily  restore  vigor 
and  stability  to  our  languishing  industries.  Senators  Bout- 
well.  Morris,  Sherman.  Schurz.  Morton,  Howe  and  others 
have  made  \-ery  instructive  and  able  speeches  u])on  the  sub- 
ject, each  advocating  some  particular  method  of  a\-oiding 
financial  panics  in  the  future,  and  of  relieving  the  present 
stringency  in  the  money  market,  and  the  consecjuent  suffer- 
ing of  thousands  of  unemployed  Avorkmen  in  all  the  large 
cities  of  the  country.  Some  claimed  that  the  xolume  of  circu- 
lating- currency  must  be  increased,  others  that  it  must  be 
contracted,  and  others  that  we  must  resort  to  specie  i:)ay- 
ments.  Senator  Morton  made  a  strong  appeal  in  behalf  of 
increased  currency  for  the  \\'esr.  instead  of  allowing  it  to  be 
hoarded  in  Eastern  banks.  He  cited  as  an  instance  of  this 
gross  inequality,  that  the  little  State  of  Massachusetts  had 
$57,000,000  in  national  currency,  while  his  own  State  of  In- 
diana had  only  about  $13,000,000.  Senator  Boutwell  stated 
that  in  all  countries  of  the  world  it  was  not  money  but  con- 
fidence and  credit  upon  which  business  was  based,  and  in 
proof  of  this  he  showed  that  in  France.  Eng-land  and  America 
the  actual  amount  of  money  in  circulation  was  but  a  very 
small  trifle  in  comparison  Avith  the  business  carried  on  by  the 
system  of  checks,  bank  credits,  notes,  etc. 

Senator  Boutwell  is  a  ratlier  small,  dark  looking,  knotty 
faced  man,  and  talks  in  a  rather  unpleasant  and  hesitating 
tone  of  voice,  and  he  is  one  of  the  last  men  in  the  senate 
whom  an  observer  in  the  pallcr\-  would  select  as  the  success- 


282  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

ful  financier  which  he  proved  himself  to  be  as  the  late  secre- 
tary of  the  treasury.  Senator  Carpenter,  who  is  president 
pro  tern,  with  his  bushy  head,  short  neck,  half-buttoned  vest, 
and  eyelids  heavy  with  wine,  looks  more  like  a  Dutchman 
who  had  slept  in  a  strawstack  over  niq-ht  than  like  a  diij'nified 
presiding  officer  of  the  United  States  senate.  He  is  almost 
incessantly  hammering-  with  his  gavel  and  interrupting  sen- 
ators while  speaking,  under  the  impression  that  he  is  thereby 
preserving  order  in  the  chamber,  when  in  fact  he  makes  more 
useless  noise  with  his  gavel  than  all  the  senators  on  the  floor. 
Senators  Morton  and  Schurz  in  the  meantime  have  a  pretty 
sharp  tilt  and  lock  horns  in  the  financial  tussle — one  favoring 
expansion  and  the  other  contraction  of  the  currency.  Schurz 
is  tall,  lean  and  fiery;  Morton,  bold,  vigorous  and  decisive, 
and  owing  to  ])aralyzed  limbs,  he  sits  while  speaking.  Sen- 
ator Sprague  of  the  great  Rhode  Island  firm  which  failed 
with  their  millions  during  the  late  panic,  sits  immediately 
in  the  rear,  and  during  the  whole  financial  discussion,  he  is 
busily  writing  at  his  desk,  apparently  unconcerned.  He 
looks  like  a  man  in  despair;  his  hair  falls  carelessly  in  his 
face,  the  veins  protrude  upon  his  brow,  and  his  eye  glares 
vacantly  across  the  chamber.  The  more  an  observer  looks 
down  upon  this  body  of  senators,  containing  many  of  the 
greatest  men  of  the  nation,  the  more  he  becomes  convinced 
that  not  all  men  are  great  in  mind  who  are  great  in  name. 
Distance  and  newspapers  magnify  them.  When  we  are 
brought  into  their  presence  they  are  nothing  but  common 
men  like  ourselves.  Seldom  does  a  man  grow  head  and 
shoulders  above  his  fellows,  neither  does  one  blade  of  grass 
shoot  far  above  the  level  of  the  meadow. 

The  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  representatives  in  Wash- 
ington seem  not  to  desire  a  division  of  Dakota  until  they  have 
added  another  year's  growth  to  their  northern  provinces. 
Should  Dakota  not  be  divided  before  1875  it  is  believed  an 
efiFort  will  be  made  to  admit  her  as  a  state  in  the  closing  year 
of  the  present  administration. 


sketches  of  congress  and  western  empire.       283 

House  oe  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C.  Jan.  21,  1874. 
'JMic  i)ast  week  has  been  emphatically  a  season  of  conven- 
tions and  national  gatherings  in  Washington.  First  on  the 
Hst  was  the  National  Woman's  Snffrage  Convention,  which 
assembled  in  Lincoln  Hall  and  continued  in  session  for  three 
days.  Very  many  of  the  noted  and  strong-minded  females 
of  the  country  were  on  hand,  with  rolls  of  manuscript  speech- 
es, petitions  and  resolutions  wdth  which  to  overwhelm  con- 
gress in  behalf  of  "the  ballot  for  woman."  Mrs.  Susan  B. 
Anthony.  Mrs.  Cady  Stanton,  Mrs.  Gage,  Mrs.  Lockwood, 
Mrs.  Dr.  \A'a]ker  in  her  bloomer  dress,  and  many  other  fe- 
male celebrities,  such  as  preachers,  lawyers  and  physicians, 
put  in  their  appearance.  Notwithstanding  the  admission  of 
fifty  cents,  the  large  hall  w^as  crowded, — not,  however,  w^ith 
a  very  intelligent  or  decorous  audience.  Many  boys  and 
bummers  attended  more  for  the  purpose,  as  they  expressed 
it,  of  seeing  the  "old  gals  trot  out  on  the  stage,"  than  to  hear 
anything  that  might  be  said.  Some  very  ugly-looking,  gar- 
rulous old  women  in  the  audience  also  gave  much  annoyance 
by  continually  interrupting  the  speaker  and  asking  foolish 
questions.  One  noisy  old  lady  was  so  determined  to  "have 
her  say"  that  she  mounted  her  chair  in  order  to  be  seen,  and 
proceeded  to  let  her  tongue  loose  in  a  gibberish  harangue 
against  "Sister  Susan,"  who  presided  over  the  meeting.  The 
Hutchinson  family  of  famous  singers,  Avho  were  present,  at 
the  urgent  request  of  "Susan,"  came  forward  upon  the  stage 
and  "drowned  out"  the  "old  gal"  who  was  speaking.  She 
was  not  conquered,  however,  until  a  policeman  came  in  and 
tapped  her  on  the  shoulder  and  requested  her  to  take  her 
seat.  A  colored  member  of  congress  was  then  invited  upon 
the  stage,  and  delivered  himself  in  favor  of  woman  suffrage, 
af^rming  that  the  Republican  party  having  accomplished  the 
great  work  of  freedom  and  the  ballot  for  the  black  race, 
should  next  secure  the  elective  franchise  for  the  women  of 
the  country.     Vice  President  Wilson  was  also  espied  in  the 


284  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

audience,  and  being  called  out,  arose  and  brierty  said  that 
many  years  ago  he  made  up  his  mind  that  his  wife,  his  mother 
and  grown  daughters  were  as  much  deserving  of  a  right  to 
\-ote  as  himself,  and  that  he  was  of  the  same  l)c]ief  still.  The 
convention  hnally  adjourned  with  the  usual  petitions  to  con- 
gress, and  the  passage  of  a  resolution  advising  all  tax-paying 
women  in  the  land  to  refuse  pacing  taxes  until  allowed  to 
vote,  and  further  urging  all  women  to  persist  in  presenting 
their  ballots  for  acceptance  at  the  polls  in  their  resj^ective 
>  districts. 

The  re])resentatives  of  chea])  transportation  ha\e  also 
been  in  council  in  the  city  during  the  past  week,  and  the 
Patrons  of  Husbandry  were  numerously  represented  b}-  the 
masters  of  state  organizations.  Hon.  E.  B.  Crew,  master  of 
the  Dakota  (irange  Association,  was  present,  and  was  watch- 
ful in  looking  after  the  interests  of  his  territory  in  the  pro- 
posed plan  of  improving  the  watercourses  and  freighting  fa- 
cilities of  the  Great  West. 

The  Grangers  were  so  thick  in  the  convention  that  the 
city  papers  called  it  the  "Hayseed  Council."  and  the  floor  of 
the  hall  was  every  morning  swept  to  gather  clover  seed  to 
plant  in  the  cit}'  lawns.  The  ])rincii^al  tO]:)ics  under  discus- 
sion before  the  convention  were  the  pro])osed  construction 
of  a  doul)le-track  road  from  the  East  to  the  West,  terminat- 
ing, for  the  present,  on  the  Alissouri  river:  also,  the  im- 
])rovement  of  watercourses  so  as  to  afford  chea])  freights  for 
the  movements  of  Western  crops.  Tt  is  understood  that 
local  interests  predominated  in  the  conxention  to  such  an 
extent  that  no  national  ])roiect  of  trans])ortation  was  adopted. 

The  war-worn  and  battle-scarred  old  soldiers  of  the  Mex- 
ican War  of  twenty-seven  years  ago  have  also  been  in  conven- 
tion in  the  city  since  my  last  letter.  They  marched  through 
the  streets  to  the  "stirring  roll  of  drum  and  fife."  and  \isited 
the  president.  General  Sherman,  and  the  congressional  halls, 
attracting  mucli  attention  by  their  maimed  and  crip])led  steps, 
their  stooping  forms,  gray  hairs,  and  battle-worn    um'form. 


SKETCHES  OK  CONGRESS  AND  WESTliKN   I'.M  IM  Ui;.  28  5 

They  assembled  in  the  Metropolitan  (or  president's)  Cdiureh 
and  were  addressed  1)\-  General  Sherman  and  others.  'I'he 
blood  seemed  to  flow  anew  in  the  \eins  of  tliese  old  fellows 
when  General  Sherman  in  his  s])eeeh  recalled  to  their  minds 
the  stirring;-  days  of  twent}-nine  \ears  ag'o ;  when,  as  he  said, 
it  took  198  days  to  rotmd  Cane  Horn  and  reach  the  distant 
scene  of  the  Mexican  War.  at  which  time  he  found  only  about 
1,600  American  inhabitants  on  the  vSoiuhern  Pacific  Slope. 
"Now."  said  he.  "'by  reason  of  our  concpiest  in  these  early 
days,  the  i^'reat  railroads  of  the  nation  have  crossed  the  moun- 
tains and  opened  up  the  golden  reg-ions  of  California,  and 
peopled  the  Pacific  coast  with  a  ])opulation  of  millions." 
When  the  convention  adjourned  the  veterans  all  took  a  drink, 
just  to  kill  the  bad  water  which  they  drank  while  crossing  the 
plains  to  Mexico  in  1848,  and  if  I  ever  saw  dry  bones  wake 
up  and  old  blood  bounce  li\eh-  it  was  when  these  old  fellows 
went  "off  duty"  in  the  exening. 

The  famous  Beecher  delivered  a  brilliant  lectm^e  to  a 
crowded  house  this  evening,  on  the  "Wastes  and  Burdens  of 
Life."  He  commenced  in  a  moderate  tone  of  voice,  but  as 
he  proceeded  he  warmed  u])  with  his  subject,  tmtil  his  light- 
ning flashes  of  eloquence  fairly  electrified  his  audience.  I 
observed  listeners  so  entranced  1)\-  the  speaker's  m'agnetism 
that  their  mouths  opened  with  his  motith  and  their  heads 
shook  with  his  head.  He  strewed  from  his  hand  upon  the 
audience  smiles  and  tears  at  his  will.  His  power  and  elo- 
quence lies  in  his  manifest  fervor  and  sincerity.  Like  a  great 
actor,  he  loses  sight  of  himself  and  plunges  into  the  tragedy 
with  saber  in  hand,  while  his  auditors  are  constantly  on  the 
lookout  to  see  where  he  strikes. 


Hoi'SE  OF   lvi':i'Ri:SENTATl\'ES, 

Washington,  D.  C.  Jan.  28,  1874. 
The  contest  of  Governor  Pinchbeck  of  Louisiana  for  a 
seat  in  the  United  States  senate    has  occupied  much  of  the 


286  SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

time  in  that  body  for  the  last  few  days.  Dnrinq-  the  discus- 
sion Pinchbeck  and  Ex-Governor  Warmouth  were  conspicu- 
ous Hsteners  upon  the  floor  of  the  senate,  manifestly  much 
interested  and  uneasy  over  the  uncertain  result  of  the  final 
vote.  Governor  Pinchbeck  is  a  handsome,  smart-looking, 
middle-aged  mulatto,  with  a  head  as  smooth  and  round  as  a 
melon.  Ex-Governor  Warmouth  is  a  young  man  of  princely 
bearing,  tall  and  straig'ht,  with  military  mustache  and  fine- 
cut  features.  Senator  Morton,  chairman  of  the  committee 
on  elections,  who  had  hitherto  advocated  Mr.  Pinchbeck's 
right  to  a  seat  in  the  senate,  this  week  changed  front  on 
account  of  some  new  revelations,  as  he  alleged,  touching  the 
illegal  conduct  of  Pinchbeck  in  connection  with  the  elections 
of  that  state.  The  grave  senators,  however,  became  com- 
pletely "unlimbered"  and  shook  with  laughter  in  their  seats 
of  dignity  when  the  classical  and  Pecksniffian  senator  from 
Kentucky,  Mr.  McCreery,  let  loose  his  batteries  of  wit  and 
sarcasm  on  the  bogus  elections  of  Louisiana.  Like  John  P. 
Knott,  of  the  same  state,  in  his  characteristic  speech  on  "Du- 
luth  as  the  center  of  the  world,"  Senator  McCreery  delivered 
his  barbed  arrows  of  sarcasm  clothed  in  the  most  feathery 
and  finished  language.  Every  senator  appeared  to  be  in  his 
seat,  anfl  turning  round  in  their  chairs  to  face  the  speaker, 
they  frequently  gave  way  to  loud  bursts  of  laughter,  seeming 
to  forget  their  high  positions  for  the  time  being.  The  fol- 
lowing amusing  description  of  one  of  the  Louisiana  "election 
expeditions"  will  be  read  with  a  relish  by  Dakota  politicians. 
Senator  McCreery  said: 

The  Republican  party,  inflamed  by  dissensions,  and  exasperated  by 
two  conventions,  one  held  at  Baton  Rouge  and  the  other  at  New  Or- 
leans, with  a  couple  of  tickets  in  the  field,  fiercer  in  their  assault  upon 
each  other  than  ever  they  had  been  upon  their  old  opponents,  was 
shorn  of  its  strength  even  before  the  contest  had  begun.  Some  of  their 
shr  ewdest  politicians  left  the  state  after  the  nomination  and  never  re- 
turned until  after  the  election.  But  the  "old  guard,"  the  officeholders, 
only  grew  desperate  in  misfortune,  and  resolved  ;o  attest  their  fidelity  by 
inaugurating  a  campaign  which  in  the  pageantry  and  pomp  and  pride  and 


SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  28/ 

circumstance  of  its  appointments  should  surpass  anything  that  ever 
floated  on  the  waters  or  rolled  on  wheels.  (Laughter.)  The  marshal  of 
Louisiana  charters  ^  steamboat,  and,  after  taking  on  a  cargo  of  speakers 
snd  whisky-barrels,  committee-men,  bacon,  hams,  and  other  choice  edi- 
bles, he.  cuts  his  cable,  raises  his  flag,  and  steams  gallantly  up  the  Mis- 
sissippi river.  It  was  a  glorious  sight  to  witness  the  calm,  intrepid  step 
of  Marshal  Packard,  as  he  paced  the  quarter-deck  of  that  vessel,  sur- 
rounded by  tapsters  and  flunkies,  speakers  and  committeemen!  At  the 
landing,  before  the  plank-walks  were  fairly  adjusted,  hundreds  of  ne- 
groes, of  either  sex  and  all  ages,  rushed  pell-mell  into  the  boat,  looking 
on  all  sides  and  inquiring,  "Where  do  you  keep  your  cages?"  Then 
came  the  grand  reception,  which  was  of  that  spontaneous,  swelling,  gush- 
ing character,  only  practiced  by  high-pressure  Doliticians  in  very  doubtful 
districts.  (Laughter.)  After  an  elegant  collation,  presided  over  with 
the  ease  and  dignity  acquired  in  high  official  position,  the  orators  are 
let  out;  but  from  some  cause  or  other  which  has  never  been  very  clearly 
explained,  their  most  impassioned  appeals  produced  little  or  no  effect 
upon  their  hearers.  Perhaps  the  dark  mass  were  more  impressed  with 
the  novelty  of  the  contrivance  than  with  any  line  of  argument  that 
could  be  addressed  to  their  understandings,  for  a  boat-load  of  orators 
had  never  before  appeared  on  those  waters.  Perhaps  the  bar-room  and 
,the  rostrum  were  too  close  together.  At  any  rate,  the  enterprise  was 
ruinously  expensive;  and  besides,  each  day's  experience  made  it  more 
and  more  manifest  that  the  prospective  glory  which  cheered  them  at  the 
outset  might  in  the  end  culminate  in  scenes  of  disorder,  debauchery, 
and  licentiousness,  surpassing  those  described  by  Gibbon  in  his  history 
of  the  Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire.  (Laughter.)  The  craft 
began  to  wear  a  piratical  appearance;  the  orators  looked  more  like  buc- 
caneers than  statesmen  as  their  fiery  eyeballs  glared  wildly  under  their 
shaggy  brows.  (Laughter.)  Marshal  Packard  made  land  at  Vidalia,  a 
little  village  in  the  parish  of  Concordia;  and  after  taking  a  short  retro- 
spect of  the  canvass  as  far  as  it  had  gone,  he  realized  the  clcspcrate  and 
utterly  hopeless  condition  of  affairs.  But,  instead  of  giving  way  to  use- 
less regrets,  his  creative  genius,  rising  with  the  emergency,  devised  a 
plan  which  in  strategetic  force  is  probably  without  an  equal.  Sitting  by 
the  Father  of  Waters,  with  his  eyes  resting  on  the  lofty  bluffs  on  the 
opposite  bank,  and  reflecting  on  the  danger  of  procrastination,  he  then 
and  there  resolved  to  abandon  his  fleet,  and  to  make  one  of  those  flank 
movements  that  in  modern  warfare  so  frequently  decide  the  fate  of 
armies  and  nations.  His  measures  were  taken  with  such  prudence  and 
circumspection  that  very  few  of  the  orators,  perhaps  not  over  a  score, 
were  aware  of  his  intention  until  his  departure.  On  the  morning  of  the 
fifth  day  of  October,  Marshal  Packard  was  descending  the  Mississippi 
river.  Why  this  unexpected,  this  sudden  and  abrupt  change  in  his  tactics? 
It  was  thirty  days  until  the  election;  and  yet  he  is  willing  to  leave  the 
impression  on  our  minds  that  he   was   gifted  with   foreknowledge,   and 


288  SKETCHES  OF  COXGRESS  AXD  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

that  from  some  casual  observations  here  and  there  he  came  to  the  de- 
Hberate  conclusion  that  a  tremendous  amount  of  fraud  would  be  prac- 
ticed at  the  coming  election,  and  that  to  circumvent  this  fraud  he  was 
hastening  with  all  speed  to  New  Orleans.  When  he  arrived  at  that  city 
he  takes  no  rest  until  he  has  prepared  thirty  thousand  affidavits  in  four 
distinct  forms  to  meet  the  different  varieties  of  fraud  which  in  his  opin- 
on   would   then   be   most   prevalent.      (Laughter.) 

From  the  day  on  which  Marshal  Packard  made  up  his  mind  that  the 
election  could  not  be  carried  by  steam,  and  left  his  crew  at  Vidalia,  the 
campaign  imderwent  a  radical  change.  That  magnificent  propeller  which 
had  borne  them  so  triumphantly  over  the  waves  was  tied  to  a  stake; 
those  orators  who  had  made  her  forecastle  quiver  under  the  thunders  of 
their  eloquence  wandered  forth  singly  or  in  pairs,  seeking  such  precarious 
subsistence  as  they  might  find  in  the  practice  or  in  the  detection  of  fratid. 
(Laughter.) 

Mr.  President. — An  unseen  hand  scattered  fragrance  over  the  grave  of 
Nero;  and  from  that  day  to  this  there  has  been  no  offender,  great  or 
small,  as  to  whose  guilt  or  innocence  there  was  not  conflict  of  opinion. 
"He  must  have  had  strong  provocation;"  "He  was  insane;"  "Some  abber- 
ation  or  hallucination  clouded  his  intellect,  or  he  could  not  have  done  the 
deed," — these,  and  a  thousand  other  things,  are  surmised  merely  in  miti- 
gation. But  in  the  case  before  us  the  door  is  rudely  closed  against 
friendly  conjecture  by  the  desperate  energy  with  which  Marsha!  Packard 
swears  that  Judge  Durell  was  not  drunk  when  he  signed  the  order. 
(Laughter.) 

During-  the  delivery  of  the  above  burlesque.  Senators 
Schurz.  ConkHng.  Logan,  Hamlin.  Thurman  and  Wright 
seemed  to  be  particnlarly  amused,  and  the  grave  old  Senator 
Sumner  laughted  outright  several  times.  Logan  laughed  till 
his  face  was  red,  and  Thurman  felt  good  all  over. 

Another  ''set-to"  took  place  in  the  house  on  Saturday  on 
civil  rights,  in  which  the  negro  gained  a  second  \ictorv  in 
debate.  .Mr.  Robbins  of  Xorth  Carolina,  a  hot-headed,  hasty 
Democrat,  made  a  fierce  attack  upon  the  black  race,  brand- 
ing them  as  only  fit  for  slaves,  and  declared  that  congress  was 
attempting  to  dethrone  that  i)roud  bird,  the  American  eagle, 
and  perch  the  black  crow  in  its  place. — a  fit  emblem  of  the 
thieving  and  ])re(latory  black  race.  The  Democratic  party  is 
continually  suffering  from  sucli  un])rofitablc  and  damaging 
speeches  as  the  one  made  by  this  fiery  Southerner. 


SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  vvi;sri;kN  ivMi'iR)-..        289 

But  there  is  a  negro  preacher  in  congress,  as  black  as  a 
crow,  whose  name  is  Cain,  and  the  RepubHcans  pitted  him 
against  this  raving  Democrat,  and  he  made  an  off-hand 
speech  with  great  fluency,  completely  routing  his  antagonist. 
In  the  course  of  his  remarks  he  said : 

Examine  the  laws  of  the  South,  and  you  will  find  that  it  was  a  penal 
offense  for  anyone  to  educate  the  colored  people  there.  Yet  these  gen- 
tlemen come  here  and  upbraid  us  with  our  ignorance  and  our  stupidity. 
Yet  you  robbed  us  for  two  hundred  years.  During  all  that  time  we  toiled 
for  you.  We  have  raised  your  cotton,  your  rice,  your  corn.  We  have  at- 
tended your  wives  and  your  children.  We  have  made  wealth  for  your 
support  and  your  education,  while  we  were  slaves,  toiling  without  pay, 
without  the  means  of  education,  and  hardly  of  sustenance.  And  yet  you 
upbraid  us  for  being  ignorant;  call  us  a  horde  of  barbarians!  Why,  sir, 
it  is  ill-becoming  in  the  gentleman  to  tell  us  of  our  barbarism,  after  he 
and  liis  have  been  educating  us  for  two  hundred  years.  If  New  England 
charity  and  benevolence  had  not  accomplished  more  than  your  education 
has  done  we  would  still  be  in  that  condition.  I  thank  the  North  for  the 
charity  and  nobleness  with  which  it  has  come  to  our  relief.  The  North 
has  sent  forth  those  leading  ideas,  which  have  spread  rapidly  over  the 
land;  and  the  negro  was  not  so  dumb  and  not  so  obtuse  that  he  could 
not  catch  the  light,  and  embrace  its  blessings  and  enjoy  them.  Sir,  I  hurl 
back  with  contempt  all  the  aspersions  of  the  gentlemen  on  the  other  side 
against  my  race. 

The  gentleman  further  states  that  the  negro  is  the  world's  stage 
actor — the  comic  dancer  all  over  the  land;  that  he  laughs  and  he  dances. 
Sir,  well  he  may;  there  are  more  reasons  for  his  laughing  and  dancing 
now  than  ever  before.  (Laughter.)  There  are  more  substantial  reasons 
why  he  should  be  happy  now  than  during  all  rhc  two  hundred  years  prior 
to  this  time.  Now  he  dances  as  an  African;  then  he  crouched  as  a 
slave.     (Laughter  and  applause.) 

He  says  we  are  not  ready  for  civil  rights.  How  long  would  it  have 
taken  us  to  get  ready  under  their  kind  of  teaching?  How  long,  O  Lord, 
how  long!  (Laughter  and  applause.)  How  long  would  it  have  taken 
to  educate  us  under  the  thumb-screw,  to  educate  us  with  the  whip,  to  edu- 
cate us  with  the  lash,  with  instruments  of  torture,  to  educate  us  without 
a  home?  How  long  would  it  have  taken  to  educate  us  under  their  sys- 
tem? We  had  no  wives;  we  had  no  children;  they  belonged  to  the  gen- 
tit-man  and  his  class.  We  were  homeless,  we  were  friendless,  although 
those  Stars  and  Stripes  hanging  over  your  head,  Mr.  Speaker,  ought  to 
have  been  our  protection.  That  emblem  of  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence, initiated  by  the  fathers  of  the  Republic,  that  all  men  are  born  free 
and  eQual,  ought  to  have  been  our  protection.  Yet  they  were  to  us  no 
stars  of  hope,  and  the  stripes  were  only  stripes  of  our  condemnation. 

19 


290       sketches  oe  congress  and  western  empire. 

House  oe  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C,  Feb.  12,  1874. 
During  the  past  week  or  two  Washington  has  been  vis- 
ited by  a  large  number  of  prominent  and  well  known  Da- 
kotans,  some  on  business  and  some  for  pleasure.  Charley 
Howard,  the  good-looking  and  merry  merchant  prince  of  the 
Sioux  Valley,  was  the  first  to  show  his  smiling  face  in  the 
galler}^  of  the  house  of  representatives.  He  sat  "blooming 
and  alone"  among  the  rows  of  negroes  for  a  few  minutes,  but 
finally  threw  up  his  nose  and  "Ht"  out  of  there, hke  a  Sioux 
Valley  stage.horse.  The  next  1  saw  of  him  he  was  marching 
up  the  avenue  towards  the  pubhc  "crib,"  or  treasury,  and  he 
said  he  was  afifected  as  Artemus  Ward  was — whenever  he 
came  near  V\  ashington  he  felt  like  steainig  something.  He 
appeared  to  be  particularly  annoyed  by  the  crowds  of  dirty 
negro  boys  that  everywhere  ran  under  him  and  between  his 
legs.  He  was  also  a  close  observer  of  the  old  horses  that  were 
driven  into  town  before  rickety  and  rattling  wagons,  har- 
nessed in  straps,  rawhide  and  rope,  with  reins  of  bed  cord. 
He  remarked,  as  also  did  Mr.  Crew,  master  of  the  Dakota 
Grangers,  when  here,  that  he  had  not  seen  a  good  farm 
wagon,  drawn  by  a  span  of  well-harnessed  horses,  since  he  en- 
tered the  old  plantation  grounds  of  Virginia  and  Maryland. 
Fiwmers  coming  from  the  West  always  observe  this  in  these 
old,  worn-out  farming  sections  of  the  East.  The  soil  upon 
the  old  fields  is  bleached  as  white  as  chalk,  and  produces  noth- 
ing unless  each  year  it  is  revived  by  fertilizing  substances. 
The  old  rail  fences  in  the  country  are  broken  down  and  moss- 
covered,  and  the  small  barren  fields  inside  of  them  seem  like 
deserted  garden  patches  compared  with  the  great  fat  farms 
of  the  West,  rich  in  soil  and  broad  in  acres.  Charley  Howard 
said  that  he  could  not  see  that  the  poor  small  farmers  here 
brought  anything  into  the  market  to  sell  except  hoop-poles, 
cornstalks,  and  rye  straw.  He  kept  his  eye  out  for  great 
wagon  loads  of  wheat,  corn  and  dressed  hogs,  but  he  didn't 
see  them.     He  saw,  instead,  poor,  half-dressed  farmers  com- 


SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  20)1 

ing  into  market,  driving  hungry  horses,  shabbily  harnessed 
to  old  dilapidated  wagons,  covered  with  clay.  Some  brought 
half  a  cord  of  wood  to  market,  others  had  hoop-poles  and 
hen's  eggs,  and  still  others  had  small  loads  of  corn  stalks, 
hay  or  straw,  drawn  by  one  horse.  Howard  and  Crew  both 
went  back  to  Dakota  satisfied,  declaring  that  they  would  not 
exchange  the  Sioux  and  Vermillion  valleys  of  Dakota  for  all 
the  plantation  grounds  in  old  Virginia. 

The  noted  "sea  captain"  of  Dakota,  Commodore  Coulson, 
has  been  in  Washington  some  days,  looking  after  the  final 
adjustment  and  awarding  of  the  government  freight  contract 
on  the  upper  Missouri  river  for  1874,  in  which  he  was  the 
lowest  bidder  at  Chicago.  He  says  the  "channel"  at  the  war 
department  looks  clear,  and  he  believes  he  will  make  his 
"landing"  in  good  shape.  He  walks  leisurely  up  the  avenue 
like  a  Missouri  river  pilot  pacing  the  hurricane  deck  of  the 
steamer  Western,  and  he  keeps  his  eye  continually  ahead  of 
him  as  though  he  were  running  a  steamboat  up  the  street, 
and  suspected  some  hidden  "sand-bar"  would  rise  up  through 
the  pavement  of  the  avenue  and  drive  him  to  the  "other 
shore."  When  he  steps  into  a  street  car  he  sings  out  "all 
aboard,"  and  when  he  wants  to  get  off  he  rings  the  bell  and 
orders  the  driver  to  "shove  out  the  gang  plank."  Whenever 
he  goes  up  to  the  gallery  of  congress  he  is  continually  looking 
at  Ben  Butler,  and  says  Ben's  eyes  are  so  crooked  that  it 
makes  him  think  of  the  half-moon  circles  in  the  upper  Mis- 
souri river. 

Aug.  High  and  C.  J.  B.  Harris  have  also  put  in  their  good- 
looking  faces  here  during  the  past  week.  "Gus"  being  a  sur- 
veyor, walked  straight  up  the  broad  sidewalk,  with  his  chin 
leveled,  turning  neither  to  the  right  or  the  left.  When  I  first 
met  him  I  thought  it  was  one  of  General  Dewey's  "lost"  dep- 
uties running  a  section  line  straight  for  the  old  flag  that  was 
floating  from  the  top  of  General  Lee's  old  mansion  on  Arling- 
ton heights.  His  eye  was  as  round  and  as  firm  as  a  bullet,  and 
he  stepped  like  a  surveyor  that  had  started  oui  on  a  breakfast 


292  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

of  bacon  and  beans,  with  a  determination  to  run  his  eighteen 
miles  before  night  in  order  to  reach  wood  and  water  for  camp. 
He  ran  over  a  dozen  negro  boys,  and  phmged  into  the  face 
of  two  or  three  market  women  who  were  too  fat  and  slow  to 
get  out  of  his  way.  At  last  he  began  to  "random  back,"  and 
"closed  in"  at  the  St.  James  Hotel  for  a  "square  meal."  He 
ordered  his  meal  on  a  tin  plate,  and  his  coffee  in  a  quart  basin, 
without  milk.  He  threw  aside  his  knife  and  fork,  and  "went 
through"  his  supper  with  his  fingers  as  only  a  Western  sur- 
veyor knows  how  to  do.  The  next  morning  he  came  out  the 
best-looking  man  in  the  hotel,  and  gave  us  to  understand  that 
he  knew  just  as  much  about  "high  life"  as  anybody.  C.  J. 
B.  Harris,  the  Yankton  tax  and  abstract  agent,  is  also  here, 
and  you  would  know  from  first  sight  that  he  was  a  tax  gath- 
erer and  title  agent.  He  looks  at  every  man  in  the  eye  as 
much  as  to  say,  "Have  you  paid  your  taxes?"  As  he  passes 
along  the  street,  he  seems  to  take  an  abstract  of  every  brick 
in  the  walk  and  the  inches  front  of  every  building  on  the 
street.  He  takes  an  "abstract"  look  at  everything  and  every- 
body, even  to  the  ladies  and  their  extravagant  bustles  and 
trails.  He  eyes  the  magnificent  carriages  and  champing 
steeds  that  dash  by  him,  and  he  fixes  the  value  on  them,  and, 
"assesses"  them  on  the  spot.  He  can  tell  how  much  every 
congressman  can  "steal,"  by  looking  at  him,  as  well  as  how 
much  "back  pay"  he  took ;  and  what  he  amounts  to  as  a  man 
after  "abstracted,"  his  taxes  paid,  and  his  debts  settled.  Har- 
ris, you  know,  never  laughs,  but  he  looks  into  a  man  as  he 
would  into  a  crooked  title.  He  is  here  looking  after  the  cod- 
ification of  the  Dakota  laws,  which  Mr.  Armstrong  recently 
presented  to  congress. 

Petitions  continue  to  pour  into  congress  by  the  hundred, 
praying  for  the  organization  of  the  new  Territory  of  Pem- 
bina out  of  the  northern  half  of  Dakota ;  but  congress  seems 
to  be  very  economically  disposed,  and  will  act  reluctantly  in 
the  matter,  if  at  all. 


SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  293 

House  of  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C,  Feb.  19,  1874. 

The  pa.st  week  has  been  a  busy  one  at  the  postoffice  de- 
partment, inasmuch  as  the  new  mail  contracts  for  the  next 
four  years  in  the  Western  States  and  Territories  have  heen 
under  process  of  examination  and  final  adjustment. 

The  number  of  competitors  was  lars^e,  and  the  bids  con- 
sequently low.  The  sixty-five  mile  route  from  Yankton  to 
Sioux  Falls,  for  instance,  is  to  be  carried  three  times  a  week 
for  less  than  $1,200  a  year.  Some  of  these  routes  will  be 
extended  from  time  to  time  to  take  in  new  postofflces,  and 
on  others  the  service  will  be  increased  in  the  number  of  trips 
a  week.  As  it  is  at  present,  Dakota  is  pretty  well  traversed 
by  mail  routes. 

The  much-needed  amendments  to  the  tree  culture  bill 
have  passed  the  house  of  representatives,  and  the  bill  is  now 
in  the  senate,  with  great  prospects  of  success.  The  bill  as 
it  passed  the  house  provides  that  ten  acres  of  prairie  shall  be 
broken  the  first  year,  ten  the  second  and  twenty  the  third,  and 
that  the  planting-  of  trees  shall  follow  in  the  ratio  of  ten  acres 
the  second  year,  ten  the  third  and  twenty  the  fourth  from 
date  of  entry.  This  gives  the  whole  of  the  first  year  for  the 
sod  to  rot  before  planting,  as  requested  in  the  petitions  sent 
to  congress  by  the  settlers  of  Dakota  and  other  parts  of  the 
West. 

Another  feature  of  the  new  bill  allows  eighty  acres  to  be 
taken  by  plowing  and  planting  twenty  acres  under  the  above 
provision.  The  necessary  papers  may  be  made  before  anv 
officer  having  a  seal  and  authorized  to  administer  oaths,  and 
afterwards  forwarded  to  the  district  land  office.  The  patent 
can  also  issue  after  eight  years,  instead  of  ten,  and  persons 
holding  claims  under  the  old  homestead  law  can  prove  up 
in  three  years  instead  of  five,  if  at  that  time  they  have  one 
acre  of  growing  trees  for  each  ten  acres  of  their  homestead. 
The  bill  further  provides  that  all  persons  who  took  claims 
under  the  timber  culture  act  of  last  congress  may  have  the 


294  SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

benefits  of  this  amended  law  in  completing-  their  titles,  and 
that  no  land  acquired  under  this  act  as  amended  shall  be  liable 
for  any  debt  contracted  prior  to  issuing-  of  certificate.  The 
total  fees  amount  to  fourteen  dollars  per  (]uarter  section, 
twelve  of  which  is  to  be  paid  at  the  time  of  entry  and  two 
dollars  upon  issue  of  final  certificate.  I  look  upon  this  bill  as 
more  directly  conducing  to  the  future  prosperity  and  devel- 
opment of  Dakota  than  any  measure  now  pending  before 
congress.  If  it  becomes  a  law,  it  will  induce  immigrants  to 
settle  upon  your  broad  and  fertile  prairies  whose  homestead 
groves  will  soon  begin  to  dot  the  surface  of  the  territory. 

The  bill  authorizing  the  secretary  of  war  to  report  the 
Dakota  Indian  war  claims  of  1862  for  payment  has  finally 
passed  both  houses  of  congress,  and  an  officer  will  be  detailed 
to  inspect  and  report  the  accounts  for  final  settlement.  The 
officer  will,  of  course,  first  proceed  to  audit  the  accounts  as 
reported  upon  by  the  territorial  legislature  of  1862-63,  which 
acts  amount  to  $28,137.17,  due  336  claimants  residing  prin- 
cipally in  the  counties  of  Cole  (now  Union),  Clay,  Yankton 
and  Bonhomme.  This  report  of  the  territorial  auditor  to  the 
legislature  was  published  in  pamphlet  form,  and  I  presume 
can  be  found  in  the  house  and  council  journals  of  that  session. 
The  names  of  the  claimants  are  there  given  in  full,  and  the 
amount  audited  as  due  to  each.  Claimants  whose  names  are 
not  included  in  that  report  must  be  prepared  to  present  evi- 
dence why  their  claims  were  not  audited  at  that  time.  Ter- 
ritorial warrants  were  issued  in  the  name  of  all  persons  con- 
tained in  the  legislative  report  above  referred  to.  and  many 
of  them  are  still  in  existence,  while  many  have  been  lost  or 
worn  out  since  1862.  Sorne  of  the  claimants  also  have  died, 
but  a  ver}'  large  proportion  of  these  can  be  found  still  resid- 
ing in  the  now  flourishing  towns  and  counties  where  they 
once  enrolled  themselves  to  protect  their  homes  and  families 
against  the  ruthle^^s  savage. 

The  contract  for  transportation  of  the  government  freight 
on  the  upper  Missouri  river  for  next  season  was  awarded  to 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WI'.STK.RN  lUrPrRK.  295 

Coulson  &  Company,  who  intend  to  make  ^'ankton  their  hase 
of  operations. 


House  of  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C.  March  2,  1874. 
This  being-  Monday,  it  is  by  common  usag-e  in  Washing-- 
ton  termed  "wash-day  in  cono^ress."  or  the  day  on  which  the 
states  and  territories  are  called  on  for  the  introduction  of  bills 
and  resolutions,  which  are  afterwards  printed  and  hung  out 
to  dry  before  the  world.  Precisely  at  twelve  o'clock  noon, 
when  all  the  town  clocks  and  steam  whistles  in  the  city  are 
sounding,  the  speaker  ascends  the  stand  and  raps  the  house 
to  order  with  one  loud  sledge-hammer  blow  of  his  large 
marble  gavel.  The  next  moment  the  chaplain  looks  heaven- 
ward through  the  glass  roof,  and  cries,  "O,  T^ord,  our  Heav- 
enly Father,"  while  the  members  are  standing' around  in  the 
hall  with  repentant  heads  down,  some  with  overcoats  on  and 
hats  in  hand,  while  others  retain  their  smoking  cigars  be- 
tween their  fingers.  The  prayer  often  catches  them  unawares 
in  the  midst  of  laughter  or  a  boisterous  conversation,  and 
they  are  first  brought  to  their  feet  or  to  their  knees  by  the 
loud  plum.p  of  the  speaker's  hammer,  like  the  sound  of  Ga- 
briel's horn.  As  the  chaplain  proceeds  to  go  upwards,  the 
members  continue  to  stoop  downwards,  and  they  appear  to 
believe  that  he  is  imploring  the  "dear  people"  to  "give  us 
day  by  day  our  welcome  salaries ;  lead  us  not  out  of  of^ce ; 
but  deliver  us  from  newspaper  attacks.  Let  the  people's  pe- 
titions come,  and  their  will  shall  be  done,  provided  it  don't 
lead  us  into  temptation ;  for  our  constituents  have  the  power, 
the  will,  and  the  intention  to  remove  us  from  office  for  ever 
and  ever,  amen."  The  man  of  prayer  has  scarcely  closed  his 
interview  with  the  Almighty  Ruler  of  men  and  nations,  be- 
fore there  is  such  a  unanimous  clapping  of  hands  that  stran- 
gers in  the  gallery  are  led  to  believe  that  the  poor  fellows 


-96  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

have  been  touched  to  the  heart  and  are  applandincr  his  prayer. 
Bnt  not  so.  They  haven't  heard  a  word  of  it.  but  have  heeu 
thinking  about  their  next  elections,  and  how  to  send  seeds 
to  their  voting  constituents.  Hence  the  clapping  of  hands 
is  to  summon  the  message  boys  and  dispatch  them  after  large 
packages  of  seeds,  wild  oats,  books  and  things. 

Soon  the  calling-  of  states  and  territories  commences,  be- 
ginning with  the  State  of  Maine  on  the  Atlantic  coast  and 
proceeding  westward  in  order,  reaching  at  last  the  territories 
on  the  Pacific  ocean.  Under  this. Monday  call,  bills  are  in- 
troduced of  every  conceivable  nature,  calculated,  in  the  opin- 
ion of  the  originators  to  cure  every  prevailing  evil  and  pro- 
mote prosperity  in  their  respective  districts.  All  bills  intro- 
duced on  this  day  cannot  be  discussed,  but  are  referred  to 
appropriate  committees  for  examination.  After  the  introduc- 
tion of  bills  comes  the  time  for  resolutions,  when,  as  Speaker 
Blaine  to-day  smilingly  said  to  a  new  member's  inquiry, 
"Everything  is  in  order  except  disorder."  The  house  is 
thrown  into  a  perfect  uproar  by  a  large  number  of  members 
rushing  down  in  front  yelling,  "Mr.  Speaker!"  and  shaking 
aloft  sheets  of  white  paper,  which  gives  the  members  the 
appearance  o.f  a  l^and  of  praying  women,  with  snowy  plumes 
waving  in  the  wind.  ^Nlost  of  the  resolutions  are  urged  for 
buncombe  and  political  efifect  at  home,  and  they  proclaim 
that  it  is  the  "sense  of  the  house"  that  this  and  that  should 
be  done  for  the  good  of  the  country.  Ben  Butler  got  through 
a  resoluion  to-day  affirming  it  as  the  sense  of  the  house  that 
all  the  appointments  in  the  capitol  at  Washington  should  be 
made  from  the  ranks  of  disabled  soldiers  and  their  families. 
There  was  scarcely  a  vote  against  it,  and  yet  we  will  never 
hear  of  it  again  as  having  any  effect  upon  the  government 
departments.  Some  weeks  ago,  also  on  Monday,  a  resolu- 
tion was  passed  without  a  dissenting  vote,  expressing  the 
sentiments  of  the  representatives  in  congress  that  if  the  gov- 
ernment was  more  economically  administered  there  would  be 
no  necessity  for  increased  taxes  to  relieve  the  present  pros- 


SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  29/ 

tration  of  business  which  has  everywhere  befallen  the  country. 
Although  this  resolution  was  thought  to  be  a  direct  blow 
at  the  bad  management  of  President  Grant's  admin 'stration. 
there  was  not  a  Republican  member  found  in  the  house  to 
record  his  vote  against  the  measure.  It  is  amusiuQ"  to  watch 
the  presiding  officer  of  the  house,  and  see  with  what  a  dex- 
terous hand  he  manages  this  boisterous  assemblage  of  three 
hundred  representatives.  A  dozen  members  at  once  will  be 
screaming.  "Mr.  Speaker!"  at  the  top  of  their  voices,  in  the 
hope  of  catching  his  eye,  and  become  thus  recognized  and 
entitled  to  the  floor.  But  Speaker  Blaine's  eye  is  trained  to 
its  business,  and  he  holds  the  reins  as  evenly  over  this  im- 
petuous body  as  the  experienced  stage  driver  who  draws  his 
"ribbons"  over  restless  steeds,  and  with  one  crack  of  his  whip 
straightens  his  "four-in-hand"  into  line.  The  presiding  offi- 
cer necessarily  arranges  his  schedule  before  calling  the  house 
to  order,  and  all  members  having  important  or  urgent  busi- 
ness to  present  must  previouslv  arrange  with  tlie  speaker  to 
be  recognized;  otherwise,  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  he  will 
look  right  straight  over  their  heads  while  they  are  screaming, 
"Mr.  Speaker!"  In  a  large  body  like  the  house  of  represen- 
tatives this  is  necessarily  so,  in  order  to  facilitate  and  sys- 
tematize the  business  of  the  house.  Oftentimes  a  number  of 
members  spring  to  their  feet  and  address  the  speaker  at  the 
same  moment,  and  personal  clamor  would  soon  arise  were  it 
not  left  to  the  presiding  officer  to  assign  the  floor  and  single 
out  one  as  first  entitled  to  be  heard.  To-morrow  discussion 
will  open  on  Mr.  McCreery's  transportation  bill,  and  the  right 
of  congress  to  control  railroad  tariff  in  the  several  states. 

In  the  senate  the  centennial  appropriation  bill  for  the  in- 
ternational exposition  at  Philadelphia,  in  1876,  is  under  dis- 
cussion, and  is  receiving  much  determined  opposition. 

Very  little  of  the  worl^  of  the  present  congress  is  yet  com- 
pleted, and  it  begins  to  appear  as  though  a  final  adjournment 
would  not  be  reached  until  June.  A  bill  has  passed  the  house 
merging  the  preemption  law  into  the  homestead  law.     Con- 


298  SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

gress  is  becoming-  alarmed  at  the  small  amoimt  of  agricultural 
lands  still  left  in  possession  of  the  United  States.  Dakota 
is  acknowledged  here  as  containing  a  larger  area  of  good 
agricultural  lands  still  open  to  settlement,  than  any  other 
section  of  the  public  domain  within  the  United  States.  Im- 
migration will  doubtless  press  largely  into  Dakota  until  the 
most  valuable  farming  lands  become  occupied  by  settlers. 


House  oe  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C.  March  17,  1874. 

The  senate  has  finally  passed  the  tree-culture  bill  substan- 
tially as  it  came  from  the  house,  and  the  president  has  also 
approved  the  same.  The  text  of  the  bill  allows  three  years 
for  breaking  the  prairie  and  four  vears  for  the  planting  of 
trees,  in  installments  of  ten  acres  a  year.  I  will  this  week 
send  you  the. approved  law  for  publication,  in  order  that  the 
farmers  of  the  territory  may  be  informed  of  its  provisions 
with  the  early  opening  of  spring.  The  commissioner  of  the 
general  land  office  is  preparing  instructions  to  accompany 
the  law.  Great  preparations  are  being  made  by  settlers  in 
many  of  the  \A'^estern  States  and  Territories  to  commence  the 
process  of  forest  planting  under  the  liberal  provisions  of  the 
modified  law. 

A  bill  has  been  introduced  in  the  house  of  representatives, 
a  copy  of  which  I  herewith  inclose,  looking  to  an  investiga- 
tion of  the  evasion  of  the  law  of  1864,  by  which  the  Sioux 
City  branch  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  was  slipped  down 
the  river  southeasterly  instead  of  being  constructed  westerly 
through  southern  Dakota  and  northern  Nebraska  to  a  Con- 
nection with  the  Union  Pacific,  near  the  looth  meridian,  as 
is  clearly  contemplated  by  the  seventeenth  section  of  the  act 
of  congress  granting  aid  therefor.  The  bill  now  before  con- 
gress provides  that  the  company  shall  not  be  released  from 
the  conditions  of  said  act  of  1864  until  the  said  contemplated 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  299 

branch  shall  be  extended  and  completed  throuoh  Southern 
Dakota  and  northern  Nebraska  to  a  point  near  the  looth 
meridian ;  the  ei.^hty-five  miles  of  road  between  Sioux  City 
and  Missouri  Valley  Junction  being  accepted  only  as  a  link 
in  the  branch  as  originally  projected  by  act  of  congress. 

Since  my  last  letter  Washington  has  been  visited  by  many 
of  the  popular  and  talented  lecturers  of  the  age.  The  old 
radical  but  popular  and  eloquent  Wendell  Phillips  addressed 
a  crowded  house  on  the  "Lost  Arts."  He  is  losing  much  of 
his  fire  and  dash  of  speech,  and  rests  principally  upon  his 
laurels  of  the  past.  His  hair  is  becoming  whitened  with  age, 
and  years  are  marking  their  wrinkles  upon  his  face. 

Canon  Kingsley  of  England,  chaplain  of  the  queen,  also 
appeared  before  a  large  and  intelligent  audience  here  during 
the  past  week.  His  subject  was  "Westminster  Abbey."  He 
is  a  stiff,  awkward  speaker,  with  a  monstrous  voice  and  un- 
natural address.  He  wears  the  English  mutton-chop  whis- 
kers planted  upon  either  side  of  his  flushed  and  beefsteak 
countenance.  The  only  attractive  feature  of  this  distin- 
guished lecturer  is  the  studied  and  beautiful  language  in 
which  he  clothes  his  learned  productions. 

Grace  Greenwood,  the  noted  American  authoress,  has  also 
appeared  upon  the  lecture  stand  here,  to  entertain  her  ad- 
mirers with  her  keen  wit  and  womanly  sarcasm.  She  wants 
a  civil  rights  bill  passed  for  the  white  people  of  ^^^ashington, 
so  that  they  can  have  equal  privileges  with  the  colored  citi- 
zens who  monopolize  the  street  cars,  sidewalks  and  the  gal- 
leries of  congress.  Mrs.  E.  D.  N.  Southworth,  another  noted 
woman,  author  of  the  "Hidden  Hand,"  etc.,  resides  near  the 
city,  and  is  often  seen  at  the  places  of  public  amusement, 
where  her  writings  are  rendered  upon  the  stage. 

Professor  Proctor  is  delivering  here  a  course  of  elaborate 
lectures  on  astronomy,  and  is  attempting  to  induce  members 
of  congress  to  look  heavenward  and  see  stars  and  things. 
Many  of  them  take  their  Avine  "glasses"  and  look  through 
them,  and    declare  the  moon  is    inhabited  with  voters — all 


300  SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

Grangers.  They  pronounce  the  professor's  nebnlre  secret 
caucuses  and  declare  that  his  comets  are  nothing  but  tail  ends 
of  brilliant  election  campaigns. 

Colonel  Boudinot.  the  educated  son  of  a  Cherokee  Indian 
chief,  delivered  an  eloquent  address  before  a  large  assemblage 
of  ladies  and  gentlemen,  in  Ivincoln  Hall,  last  week,  upon  the 
"Indian  Question."  I  obsen-ed  General  v'^herman  in  one  of 
the  front  seats,  with  his  sharp  eye  resting  upon  the  speaker 
as  though  he  was  watching  for  a  scalp.  The  address  was 
very  instructive  and  interesting,  and  Mr.  Boudinot  closed 
with  the  declared  policy  that  the  only  way  to  subdue  and 
civilize  the  Indians  was  to  school  and  educate  their  children 
in  the  English  language  and  modes  of  life.  In  short,  said 
he,  "it  is  easier  to  corral  the  children  in  schoolhouses  than 
to  corral  the  warriors  on  reservations."  Reclaim  from  wild- 
ness  the  rising  generation,  and  the  old  and  savage  race  will 
soon  die  out. 

Professor  Powers  of  Chicago  recently  lectured  before  the 
Academy  of  Science  and  Art,  in  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  building,  upon  the  novel  subject  of  "Rainfall 
Produced  by  Artillery  Firing."  The  professor  was  exceed- 
ingly interesting,  and  proved  conclusively  from  established 
precedents  and  experiments  that  passing  clouds  could  be 
made  to  yield  their  refreshing  showers  to  the  earth  below  by 
the  discharge  of  a  heavy  cannon  creating  a  vibration  in  the 
atmosphere.  He  referred  to  this  process  being  resorted  to 
by  famishing  armies  in  crossing  thirsty  deserts,  whereby 
water  had  been  brought  from  the  clouds  in  rain  showers  for 
the  uses  of  man  and  beast. 

On  Monday  last  the  intelligence  of  the  death  of  Ex- 
President  Fillmore,  at  his  home  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  was 
fermally  announced  to  both  branches  of  congress.  Short 
and  appropriate  eulogies  were  pronounced,  and  the  usual 
resolutions  of  respect  and  condolence  passed,  after  which 
committees  were  appointed  to  proceed  to  Buffalo  and  repre- 
sent the  two  houses  of  congress  at  the  funeral  of  the  deceased 


SKETCHES  OP  CONGRESS  AND  WlvSTERN  EMPIRE.      •     S^' 

ex-president.  The  capitol  building  and  the  several  depart- 
ments of  the  government  were  draped  in  mourning-,  and  the 
flags  of  the  city  were  hung  at  half  mast. 

Scarcely  had  the  burial  committee  of  congress  departed 
upon  their  journey  to  attend  the  last  ceremonies  of  the  de- 
parted Fillmore,  before  a  dispatch  flashed  in  upon  congress 
that  Senator  Sumner,  who  but  the  day  before  was  in  his  seat, 
was  now  dying  at  his  rooms  in  the  city.  Members  were  so 
startled  that  no  business  of  importance  was  proceeded  with, 
and  soon  came  another  dispatch  which  was  read  at  the  speak- 
er's stand,  announcing  that  the  great  senator  was  rapidly 
sinking,  and  could  not  survive  the  day.  In  less  than  an  hour 
another  dispatch  announced  that  vSenator  Sumner  was  dead, 
whereupon  the  houses  immediately  adjourned.  The  next 
day  nothing  of  interest  was  transacted  in  congress,  except  to 
vote  testimonials  of  sorrow  and  esteem  and  appoint  commit- 
tees to  accompany  the  remains  of  the  dead  senator  to  the 
commonwealth  of  Massachusetts,  and  to  arrange  for  his  pre- 
liminary funeral  in  the  senate  chamber  of  the  United  States, 
to  take  place  on  the  following  day.  His  body  was  embalmed 
and  lay  in  state  in  the  great  rotunda  of  the  capitol  from  nine 
till  one  o'clock,  where  it  was  visited  by  thousands  of  citizens, 
old  and  young,  black  and  white,  rich  and  poor.  The  remains 
were  then  removed  to  the  senate  chamber,  and  placed  in  front 
of  the  vice  president's  stand.  The  president  of  the  United 
States  and  his  cabinet  took  seats  to  the  right,  the  judges  of 
the  supreme  court  the  left,  senators  and  members  in  the  rear 
and  the  friends  and  relations  in  front.  The  chair  of  the  dead 
senator,  which  he  had  occupied  but  a  few  days  before,  was 
draped  in  deep  mourning,  and  a  crown  of  snowy  white  flow- 
ers rested  upon  his  vacant  desk.  At  the  foot  of  the  chair  I 
observed  a  couple  of  law  books  tipped  carelessly  down,  like 
broken  vases  upon  a  tomb,  apparently  where  the  great  in- 
tellect had  dropped  them  when  death  sounded  the  alarm. 
Since  the  funeral  here  the  senate  has  not  been  in  session  until 


302  SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

to-day,  the  funeral  delegations  having  not  yet  returned  from 
Massachusetts. 

Congress  is  now  fairly  at  work  again,  and  will  probably- 
get  through  with  the  annual  business  of  the  session  by  the 
1st  of  June.  The  measure  to  secure  an  increase  of  currency 
for  the  South  and  West  looks  more  hopeful  than  at  any  time 
during  the  session.  The  bill  for  the  division  of  Dakota  is 
meeting  with  some  secret  opposition  here  from  a  few  of  the 
federal  officials  of  the  territory  who  desire  to  retain  control 
over  the  official  fees  and  government  contracts  in  the  north- 
ern part  of  Dakota.  The  Bismarck  land  district  bill  has  been 
reported  to  the  house  favorably  for  passage,  and  is  quite  sure 
of  becoming  a  law.  The  bill  for  the  relief  of  settlers  on  the 
Fort  Randall  reservation  above  White  Swan  is  also  upon  the 
favorable  list  and  will  doubtless  pass. 


House  of  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C,  March  25,  1874. 

On  Monday  last  Mr.  Dawes,  chairman  of  the  ways  and 
means  committee,  under  the  check  and  spur  of  the  previous 
question,,  obtained  under  the  suspension  of  the  rules  by  a 
two-thirds  vote,  brought  the  house  to  a  square  vote  on  the 
long  debated  question  of  increasing  the  currency,  as  a  relief 
to  the  present  prostration  of  the  business  of  the  country. 

The  question  was  contested  stoutly  inch  by  inch  by  the 
representatives  of  the  New  England  and  Northeastern  States, 
who,  though  defeated  in  every  vote,  persisted  in  having  the 
ayes  and  nays  called  throughout  on  every  amendment.  The 
sense  of  the  house  was  first  tested  upon  the  proposition  of 
the  New  England  members,  to  limit  the  amount  of  legal  ten- 
der notes  to  $356,000,000,  the  amount  now  out,  and  recalling 
the  $26,000,000  of  the  reserve  fund  recently  issued.  This 
was  voted  down  by  the  large  majority  of  171  against  70.  A 
New  York  proposition  was  then  submitted  to  an  aye  and 


SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  303 

nay  vote,  limiting  the  amount  of  legal  tenders  to  $382,- 
000,000,  being  the  sum  now  in  circulation  including  the  $26.- 
000,000  of  reserve.  This  amendment  was  voted  down  by  the 
decided  majority  of  171  to  74.  The  house  was  then  brought 
face  to  face  upon  the  original  bill  increasing  the  amount  to 
$400,000,000.  New  England  and  New  York,  with  their 
hoarded  wealth,  were  still  persistent  and  determined  to  pre- 
vent any  increase  of  money  for  the  country,  if  within  the 
range  of  a  desperate  and  grasping  possibility;  and  motions 
to  adjourn  and  lie  on  the  table  were  interjected  and  neces- 
sarily voted  down  before  a  square  vote  was  reached  upon  the 
final  passage  of  the  bill,  which  resulted  in  the  complete  tri- 
umph of  the  Southern  and  Western  States,  by  a  vote  of  168 
against  ']'].  The  result  of  the  vote  has  already  had  a  decided 
effect  in  stimulating  the  business  of  the  spring  season.  Free 
banking  is  now  strongly  advocated  in  both  branches  of  con- 
gress as  a  means  of  more  equally  distributing  the  currency 
among  the  people,  by  the  issuing  of  national  bank  notes  in 
any  locality  whenever  $10,000  in  United  States  bonds  are 
forwarded  to  the  treasury  as  security  for  the  redemption  of 
circulating  notes,  it  is  thought  that  under  the  workings  ot 
such  a  law  the  present  volume  of  greenbacks  would  be  in- 
creased $10,000,000,  principally  in  the  states  and  territories 
which  are  now  far  short  of  having  their  quota.  The  New 
England  States  have  under  the  present  distribution  of  the 
currency  about  thirty-one  dollars  for  each  inhabitant,  while 
the  West  has  less  than  seven  dollars,  and  the  South  less  than 
three  dollars.  New  England,  with  thirty-one  dollars  per 
capita,  protests  that  she  has  no  more  than  she  needs,  but  at 
the  same  time  she  is  unwilling  that  the  West  should  have 
more  money  unless  it  is  obtained  at  high  rates  of  interest 
from  Eastern  money  loaners. 

On  all  such  important  national  measures  as  the  currency, 
internal  transportation,  etc.,  there  seems  to  be  a  general  dis- 
banding or  breaking  up  of  all  party  organization  in  congress, 
and  every  member  votes  according  to  his  own   individual 


304  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

judgment  in  the  premises.  On  the  currency  question  Dem- 
ocrats and  RepubHcans  were  found  voting  promiscuously  to- 
gether for  the  interest  of  their  respective  states  or  districts, 
and  working  strenuously  hand  in  hand  against  opposing 
members  of  their  own  parties.  The  same  is  true  of  the  trans- 
portation problem,  party  lines  being  entirely  obliterated  and 
lost  sight  of  in  the  more  absorbing  matters  of  local  or  public 
interest. 

The  more  the  proceedings  of  congress,  as  well  as  of  public 
men  and  political  conventions,  are  observed  and  considered, 
the  more  plainly  it  becomes  evident  that  party  rule  is  dying 
out.  There  is  no  one  great  and  vital  question  which  divides 
parties  of  the  present  day.  The  war  is  over,  slavery  is  dead, 
the  black  man  votes  and  holds  ofifice  under  the  laws  of  the 
land,  and  this  is  now  all  acknowledged  as  a  thing  of  the  past. 
New  issues  are  constantly  springing  up  upon  which  good 
men  of  all  parties  entertain  their  own  independent  opinions. 
This-  independence  of  thought  and  action  is  extending  in  a 
great  measure  to  the  masses  of  intelligent,  reading  people 
throughout  the  country,  who.  in  the  absence  of  any  great 
national  issue,  are  beginning  to  vote  outside  the  ranks  of  any 
political  organization.  Prominent  Republicans  here  admit 
that  the  country  is  becoming  alarmingly  full  of  independent 
voters,  as  evidenced  by  recent  state  and  municipal  elections. 
A  Republican  senator  recently  said  that  "the  people  have 
drawn  the  sword  against  monopoly,  official  corruption  and 
party  tyranny,  and  that  they  cannot  hereafter  be  controlled 
by  any  political  party." 

Ex-Governor  Burbank,  Ex-Judge  French,  Surveyor  Gen- 
eral Dewey  and  the  Pembina  land  officers  have  been  in  the 
city  for  a  number  of  days.  Burbank  is  looking  after  his 
Southern  mail  contract,  upon  which  he  was  underbid  by 
others,  and  Judge  French  is  looking  around  generally  to  see 
if  there  are  any  loose  offices  laying  open  to  be  filled.  General 
Dewey  is  visiting  his  Wisconsm  friends  who  represent  that 
state  in  congress,  and  is  keeping  a  watchful  eye  upon  his  ap- 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  Wl.vSTlvRN  EMl'Iki:.  Vj5 

propriation  for  surveys  in  Dakota  for  the  ensuing-  year.  It 
now  stands  at  $70,000  for  office  purposes  and  field  work,  as 
recommended  by  the  general  land  office.  An  effort  will  be 
made  to  induce  the  appropriation  committee  in  congress  to 
increase  the  amount  for  surveys  to  $80,000,  the  same  as  last 
year.  Hon.  James  W.  Taylor,  the  American  consul  to  Man- 
itoba, is  also  here,  advocating  an  appropriation  of  $40,000  to 
improve  the  navigation  of  Red  river  between  Minnesota  and 
Dakota.  The  committee  on  commerce  do  not  seem  disposed 
to  advise  the  commencement  of  any  new  improvements  of 
rivers  until  the  treasury  is  relieved  of  its  present  embarass- 
ment. 

extravagant  improvements  in  washington. 

House  oe  Represent.vtives. 
Washington.  D.  C,  April  i,  1874. 

Washington  citv  contains  260  acres  of  streets  and  ave- 
nues, and  has,  at  present,  an  estimated  population  of  130,000 
people.  More  than  one-half  of  the  city  area  is  in  public 
streets,  there  being  less  than  forty-six  per  cent  of  the  city 
limits  devoted  to  building  lots  and  parks.  The  parks  and 
public  grounds,  of  course,  belong  to  the  government.  Hence 
it  will  be  seen  that  but  a  comparatively  small  proportion  of 
the  city  is  owned  as  private  property  in  the  hands  of  individu- 
als. For  this  reason,  among  others,  a  strife  has  grown  up 
between  the  local  (a  territorial  government  here)  and  the 
national  congress,  on  the  matter  of  appropriations  of  money 
made  by  each  government  for  the  proportionate  improve- 
ment of  property  owned  by  each  within  the  limits  of  the 
federal  city.  It  appears  that  since  i860  the  local  corpora- 
tions and  new  territorial  government  organized  in  1870,  have 
expended  $20,375,440.70  for  improving  the  city,  by  tax 
upon  private  property,  and  that  during  the  same  period  the 
federal  government  has  expended  but  $4,600,586.20,  not- 
withstanding it  is  the  largest  land  owner  in  the  city. 


306  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

Hence  the  citizens  naturally  want  congress  to  make  more 
liberal  appropriations  from  year  to  year  for  the  purpose  of 
paving  the  streets,  constructing  sewers,  and  laying  gas  and 
water  mains  around  and  in  front  of  the  public  grounds  and 
buildings.  Not  until  the  late  war  was  terminated  did  Wash- 
ington City  commence  its  era  of  gTOwth  and  prosperity. 

In  1869  the  wooden  pavement  period  began  by  a  com- 
pulsory act  of  congress  requiring  the  property  owners  on 
Pennsylvania  avenue  to  pave  the  same  from  the  capitol  to 
the  president's  mansion,  a  distance  of  one  mile.  In  1871  the 
Forty-second  congress  became  imbued  with  the  spirit  of 
renovating  and  beautifying  the  capitol  city,  and  appropriated 
$3,597,801  to  be  placed  to  the  credit  of  the  improvement 
fund.  In  the  meantime  congress  created  a  board  of  pubhc 
works,  consisting  of  seven  men,  with  full  power  to  carry  on 
the  improvements,  expend  the  money,  make  contracts,  etc. 
Of  course,  this  was  conferring-  dangerous  privileges  upon 
seven  men,  when  it  is  considered  that  they  were  to  control 
the  location  of  improvements,  the  awarding  of  contracts,  and 
the  expenditure  of  several  millions  of  money.  Hence  some 
of  the  taxpayers  of  the  city  recently  petitioned  congress  to 
investigate  the  affairs  of  the  board  of  public  works,  alleging 
that  large  contracts  had  been  let  at  extravagant  prices,  and 
that  false  measurements  had  been  made  for  favorite  con- 
tractors by  the  engineers  of  the  board,  upon  which  returns 
much  more  work  had  been  paid  for  than  had  been  executed ; 
and  furthermore,  that  the  board  had  formed  a  real  estate 
"ring''  and  bought  up  the  cheap  property  in  localities  where, 
after  the  purchase,  they  ordered  extensive  improvements,  and 
then  sold  them  at  greatly  increased  values.  All  the  official 
transactions  of  the  board  are,  therefore,  now  being  investi- 
gated by  a  committee  of  congress,  and  in  this,  as  in  other 
cases  where  large  amounts  of  money  are  expended,  some 
loose  and  dishonest  practices  have  been  developed.  Mem- 
bers of  the  district,  or  rather  territorial,  legislature  have  been 
discovered  to  have  secured  contracts  from  the  governor  (who 


SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  },Oy 

is  president  of  the  board  of  public  works)  for  particular 
friends  or  supporters  of  theirs,  whom  they  afterwards  char,G:ed 
three  thousand  dollars  for  "influence." 

The  contractors  went  back  on  these  heavy  assessments, 
and  would  not  stand  so  much  "blood  money,"  but  one  of 
them  finally  cafne  down  a  $i,ooo  worth  of  "influence,"  and 
forked  over  the  money  to  the  legislator;  but  wlien  the  law- 
maker wanted  another  $i,ooo  the  contractor  peached  on  him. 
jlnd  has  recently  testified  to  the  whole  transaction  before  the 
congressional  committee.  Another  man  who  had  a  $100,000 
contract  to  pave  a  long  street  to  the  Potomac  swears  that  his 
work  was  not  accepted  by  the  board  because  he  would  not 
pay  the  proper  officer  $5,000.  The  fact  was  also  elicited  in 
the  investigation  that  it  had  been  a  usual  custom  for  con- 
tractors to  "loan"  money  to  the  eng-ineer,  by  handing  it  to  him 
in  an  envelope,  a  day  or  two  before  he  was  to  make  a  meas- 
urement of  certain  sections  of  their  work.  All  these  matters 
have  been  explained  away  or  sworn  down  by  the  friends  of 
the  board,  but  still  the  investigation  has  created  an  unpleasant 
suspicion  in  both  branches  of  congress,  which  may  go  far 
to  check  any  further  liberal  appropriations  for  improvements 
under  the  territorial  government  of  Columbia.  The  board 
have,  however,  accomplished  a  great  work  in  redeeming  the 
city  from  mud  and  filth  and  adornng  it  with  beautifully 
paved  streets  and  ornamental  parks  and  grounds. 

No  one  can  read  the  great  speech  of  Representative 
Dawes,  chairman  of  the  committee  of  ways  and  means,  in  his 
arraignment  of  the  reckless  financial  management  of  the 
party  in  power  under  the  present  administration,  without  be- 
ing convinced  that  we  are  indeed  living  under  a  reign  of  po- 
litical extravagance.  Contracts  are  let  from  the  very  head 
of  the  treasury  department  to  private  parties,  by  which  they 
are  authorized  to  share  equal  halves  with  the  government  in 
collection  of  certain  revenues,  as  recently  divulged  in  the 
Sanborn  and  Jayne  frauds.  Millions  of  money  have  been 
annually  appropriated  to  afford  large  contracts  to  supporters 


308  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

of  the  dominant  party  in  the  construction  of  g-overnment 
buildings  and  works  in  nearly  all  the  larger  cities  of  the  coun- 
try. Extravagant  Indian  contracts  have  been  awarded  to 
parties  who  were  not  the  lowest  bidders,  and  increased  sup- 
plies purchased  beyond  the  appropriations  of  congress,  to  be 
made  up  in  deficiencies.  Scores  of  deputy  collectors  of  reve- 
nues and  customs  have  been  kept  on  salaries,  at  places  where, 
as  J\Ir.  Dawes  shows,  there  were  no  receipts  to  the  govern- 
ment. As  a  consequence  the  national  treasury  has  for  several 
months  been  dropping  behind,  until  now  our  expenditures 
exceed  our  receipts. 

The  present  appropriation  bills  before  congress  have  been 
reduced  nearly  $20,000,000' for  the  next  fiscal  year,  in  order 
to  run  the  government  "closer  to  shore"  and  thereby  avoid 
another  threatening  storm,  of  which  last  fall's  financial  panic 
was  but  a  warning  gale. 

Ex-Governor  Burbank  is  still  here  opposing  the  establish- 
ment of  a  land  office  at  Bismarck,  claiming  that  it  will  injure 
the  business  of  the  Springfield  office.  The  attorney  general 
was  recently  called  before  a  committee  of  congress  to  explain 
the  large  expenses  incurred  for  the  United  States  courts  in 
Dakota,  amounting  to  over  $50,000  a  year. 


misfortunes  of  public  men. 

House  of  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C,  April  7,  1874. 

To  one  who  is  a  close  observer  of  men  and  things  at  the 
capital  of  a  great  nation  like  ours  a  sad  and  instructive  lesson 
is  presented  of  the  ups  and  downs  of  men  in  public  life.  Daily 
can  be  seen  men  of  wasted  fortunes,  lost  hopes,  disappointed 
ambition  and  departed  honors,  hanging  wistfully  about  the 
congressional  lobby  entrances  and  committee  rooms,  many 
of  whom  have  in  days  gone  by  occupied  the  honorable  po- 


SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  309 

sition  of  United  States  senator,  representatives  in  concrress. 
and  even  members  of  the  president's  cabinet. 

One  dav  lately  a  very  feeble  and  poorly  dressed  old  man 
was  pointed  out  to  me  sitting  by  the  main  entrance  to  the 
house  of  representatives,  and  writing-,  with  trembling:,-  hand, 
his  address  upon  a  card,  to  be  sent  in  to  some  member  of 
congress  of  whom  he  desired  to  ask  assistance.  To  my  sur- 
prise I  was  informed  that  he  was  years  ago  a  member  of  the 
cabinet,  and  had  occupied  the  responsible  and  honorable  po- 
sition of  United  States  treasurer.  With  the  loss  of  office  he 
lost  his  courage  to  battle  wath  the  world  even  handed,  and 
gradually  gave  way  to  the  stings  of  pride  and  remorse,  until 
his  faculties  and  energies  failed,  and  he  dropped  into  ob- 
scurity and  want.  Many  ex-senators  can  be  seen  around 
Washington  having  apparently  nothing  to  do  and  but  little 
to  live  upon.  Some  of  them  pick  up  small  fees  as  claim  agents 
or  lawyers,  while  others  are  anxiously  waiting  for  some  job 
or  fine  opening  for  business  particularly  adapted  to  their 
tastes.  Some  of  them  were  prominent  and  able  representa- 
tives of  their  respective  states  while  in  congress,  but  their 
senatorial  terms  deprived  them  so  long  of  their  former  busi- 
ness and  so  alienated  them  from  the  people  that  they  could 
not  again  step  back  into  the  home  pursuits  which  they  had 
abandoned  for  office.  Hence  pride  drives  tTiem  to  seek  pro- 
fessional occupation  elsewhere,  usually  at  the  capitol  where 
they  have  become  acquainted,  but  where  also,  as  a  conse- 
quence, every  profession  is  overdone.  When  once  out  of 
office  no  one  thinks  or  cares  for  them  above  the  common 
level  of  mankind.  No  one  stops  to  inquire  whether  another 
man  has  ever  been  a  senator,  cabinet  officer,  or  president  of 
the  United  States,  neither  does  he  care.  If  he  has  business 
with  him,  he  simply  wants  to  know^  w'hat  the  man  is  now. 

Ex-President  Johnson,  when  here  last  fall,  attracted  no 
more  attention  from  the  masses  of  the  people  than  as  though 
he  had  never  been  outside  of  his  native  state.  I  have  seen 
a  distinguished    ex-senator  upon  the  streets    scoffed  at  and 


3IO  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AXD  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

ridiculed  bv  bootblacks  and  newsboys,  and  at  every  point 
avoided  by  respectable  people.  Drink  ruins  some,  pride 
others,  and  political  disappointment  still  more  than  all.  Col- 
fax fell  from  his  high  pinnacle  of  honor  like  dashed  hopes, 
after  the  Credit  Mobilizier  exposure  in  congress ;  while 
Greeley,  Brooks,  Ames  and  Sumner  were  stung  to  death  by 
the  barbed  arrow  of  political  disappointment.  Scores  of  other 
public  men  of  the  present  age  have  burned  out  their  intellects 
in  the  red  and  sparkling  glass.  The  wear  and  tear  of  mind 
and  body  upon  men  in  representative  position  seems,  after 
years  of  service,  to  break  down  the  mental  and  physical  en- 
durance of  the  human  system.  Vice  President  Wilson  has 
not  been  able  to  occupy  his  chair  but  a  few  days  during  the 
present  session.  Senator  Edmunds  has  been  obliged  to  leave 
his  seat  in  that  body  and  pass  through  much  of  the  winter  in 
Florida.  Senator  Boutwell  has  been  confined  to  his  room 
for  some  weeks.  Senator  Morton  has  been  detained  from 
his  seat' by  feebleness,  as  also  Senator  Scott  of  Pennsylvania. 
Senators  Ferry  of  Connecticut  and  Brownlow  of  Tennessee 
are  so  helpless  from  paralysis  that  they  require  attendants  to 
assist  them  to  their  seats  in  the  senate.  In  the  house  of  rep-, 
resentatives  the  members  are  generally  younger  men,  and 
being  elected  for  only  two  years,  they  do  not  show  the  scars 
and  lashes  which"  are  exhibited  by  the  old  political  wheel- 
horses  in  the  senate.  Mr.  Dawes  of  the  house,  however,  is 
beginning  to  look  wrinkled  and  haggard  from  his  long  con- 
tinued and  prominent  labors  in  that  body.  Ben  Butler,  "The 
Man  of  Iron,"  likewise  begins  to  exhibit  the  marks  of  hard 
fought  battles  in  the  fading  luster  of  his  protruding  eyes. 

Mr.  Dawes  and  Judge  Hoar,  both  members  from  Massa- 
chusetts, are  each  day  seen  chatting  friend-like  over  the 
pending  contest  in  the  Massachusetts  legislature  for  the  dead 
Sumner's  vacant  seat  in  the  United  States  senate.  The 
telegrams  announcing  the  vote  are  sent  to  the  house  every 
day,  about  half-past  twelve  o'clock,  giving  Dawes  some  95 
votes,  and    Hoar  78.     The  two    men    seem  to  be    as    un- 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  3  •  I 

concerned  as  though  honor  had  no  further  charms  for  them. 
Dawes  was  speaking  the  other  day  when  the  dispatch  came 
in,  and  he  did  not  even  look  round  to  be  told  what  the 
result  was.  Judge  Hoar  kept  on  writing  at  his  desk.  Mr. 
Dawes  is  now  serving  his  eighteenth  successive  year  in 
congress  as  representative  from  Massachusetts,  and  is  still 
what  might  be  termed  a  poor  man  in  this  world's  wealth. 
There  are  scores  of  congressmen  here  who  are  in  the  same 
situation,  notwithstanding  they  have  been  in  office  for  suc- 
cessive terms  of  years.  The  most  prominent  of  these  are 
usually  the  ones  who  make  the  least  money  out  of  their 
positions.  Vice  President  Wilson.  Morion,  Colfax.  Garfield. 
Dawes,  and  many  other  leading  men  of  the  present  age.  have 
rendered  long  years  of  service  to  the  country,  with  fair  sal- 
aries, and  still  they  accumulated  little  or  nothing  from  their 
earnings.  It  is  not  our  greatest  nor  wisest  men  who  make 
the  most  money. .  There  are  some  very  ordinary  members 
of  congress  who  are  worth  millions  of  dollars.  A  senator 
the  other  day  showed  me  a  letter  written  to  him  to  "doe"  all 
he  could  to  "git"  the  currency  bill  "deefetid,"  for,  if  it  passed, 
he  said  it  would  make  money  "moar  plentey"  and  "interyst 
loar,"  and  this  man  was  worth  over  a  million  dollars  and  was 
living  on  the  interest  of  his  loans.  But  notwithstanding  the 
selfish  protests  of  such  money  loaners  as  this,  the  currency 
bill  passed,  to  provide  more  money  for  the  wants  of  the 
country. 

A  strong  effort  is  being  made  from  the  West  to  have  the 
care  of  the  Indians  hereafter  entrusted  to  the  war  department 
instead  of  the  interior  department,  as  is  now  the  case.  It  is 
believed  that,  by  assigning  military  officers  at  the  various 
posts  in  the  Indian  country  to  the  duties  now  performed  by 
Indian  agents,  the  issues  of  rations  and  annuities  will  there- 
by be  more  economically  and  justly  attended  to.  and  that  the 
Indians  will  be  more  promptly  checked  in  case  of  hostilities. 
But  the  Indian  service  is  the  strongest  political  machine  in 
the  government,  and  its  lever  is  a  motive  power  in  campaigns 


312  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

which  the  dominant  party  will  very  reluctantly  let  pass  from 
its  hands.  Several  millions  of  g-overnment  funds  thrown 
into  a  \ATlderness  to  feed  Indians  each  year  is  no  small  pool 
from  which  to  fish  up  large  and  profitable  contracts. 

The  senate  and  house  committees  on  public  lands  have 
both  decided  to  report  favorably  to  their  respective  houses 
the  bill  to  allow  ]\Iennonite  Russian  colonies  to  select  large 
tracts  of  unoccupied  government  lands,  for  the  purpose  of 
locating  extensive  settlements  in  the  ^^'est.  The  bill  per- 
mits each  head  of  the  family  to  purchase  one-quarter  section 
of  land  at  private  entry  by  paying  to  the  government  St. 25 
per  acre,  to  be  paid  in  five  equal  installments  for  five  years, 
at  six  per  cent  interest,  the  first  installment  to  be  paid  at  the 
time  of  entry.  Some  opposition  is  manifested  toward  the 
measure,  as  discriminating  in  favor  of  a  certain  class  of  for- 
eigners against  all  other  citizens. 

Since  the  repeal  of  the  franking  privilege  no  jirovision  has 
been  made  bv  congress  for  the  free  distribution  of  seeds  and 
documents  through  the  public  mails,  and  in  consequence 
thereof  very  few  are  being  sent  out  in  comparison  with  the 
amounts  distributed  in  former  years.  Members  of  congress 
are  constantly  in  receipt  of  letters  from  their  constituents 
asking  for  seeds  and  documents  without  limit,  and  a  large 
majority  of  the  people  who  write  for  them  seem  to  be  sur- 
prised to  learn  that  no  congressional  matter  has  been  allowed 
to  pass  free  through  the  mails  since  the  ist  of  July  last. 


House  of  Representatives, 
Washington.  D.  C.  April  14,  1874. 
Congress  is  still  making  slow  progress  in  the  business  of 
the  session.  Too  much  time  is  occupied  in  discussion  and 
long  speeches  in  open  house,  instead  of  maturing  matters  of 
legislation  before  the  proper  committees.  Most  of  the  im- 
portant ajipropriation  bills  necessary  to  defray  the  expenses 


SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  31  3 

of  the  government  for  the  next  ensuing-  year  have  not  yet 
been  considered  in  either  house,  while  the  prolonged  and  per- 
plexing debate  on  the  finances  and  the  currency  of  the  coun- 
try is  still  undetermined.  Every  member  from  New  England 
to  the  Pacific  slope  seems  to  have  an  amendment  to  ofTer  and 
a  speech  to  back  it,  before  he  is  ready  to  vote  any  relief  to 
the  country. 

Many  representatives  who  have  special  bills  of  impor- 
tance to  their  respective  districts  are  becoming  quite  uneasy 
over  the  uncertain  fate  of  their  measures,  inasmuch  as  the 
larger  bills  of  a  national  character  will  be  likely  to  absorb 
most  of  the  time  of  congress  as  the  session  draws  near  to  a 
close.  Dakota  has  been  fortunate  in  receiving,  thus  early, 
final  and  favorable  action  in  both  houses  upon  three  bills  of 
most  general  interest  to  the  territory,  viz.,  the  war  claim  bill, 
the  tree  culture  act,  and  the  post  route  law.  All  of  the  other 
Dakota  bills  have  either  passed  one  branch  of  congress,  or 
have  been  favorably  reported  bv  the  proper  committees. 

A  general  right-of-way  bill  for  railroads  in  the  territories 
has  been  reported  in  each  house  for  passage,  and  has  been 
thoroughly  discussed  in  the  senate  for  three  successive  days, 
and  passed  that  body  yesterday.  The  bill  gives  the  right-of- 
way  and  station  grounds  through  the  public  lands  to  all  rail- 
road companies  in  the  territories  now  organized,  or  that  may 
be  hereafter  organized,  according  to  law.  The  measure  will 
probably  become  a  law  in  a  modified  form.  The  senate  de- 
sires to  prohibit  the  counties  and  towns  from  voting  aid  or 
loaning  credit  to  the  roads,  and  also  to  prevent  such  roads 
being  constructed  through  any  Indian  reservation  without 
the  consent  of  the  tribe  being  first  asked  and  obtained ;  and, 
furthermore,  to  provide  terms  of  consolidation  between  com- 
panies wherever  the  road  is  to  run  through  two  or  more  ter- 
ritories. The  house  bill  is  the  same  in  substance,  except 
that  it  is  silent  upon  the  subject  of  voting  aid,  leaving  the 
people  to  exercise  their  own  judgment.  All  special  right-of- 
way  bills  for  particular  roads  in  the  territories  are  held  back 


314  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

by  the  public  land  committee,  in  hopes  that  they  will  all  be 
covered  by  the  passap^e  of  this  ijeneral  bill.  A  special  bill  is 
in  for  every  railroad  company  in  Dakota,  and  should  this 
g'eneral  measure  become  a  law  these  companies,  as  well  as 
all  future  ones,  will  be  placed  upon  an  equal  footino^  so  far 
as  aid  from  the  g-overnment  is  concerned. 

The  bill  establishing  a  new  United  States  land  office  at 
Bismarck,  Dakota,  passed  the  house  of  representatives  to-day, 
after  a  sharp  skirmish  as  to  the  policy  of  going  across  the 
ocean  to  get  a  foreign  name  to  bestow  upon  an  American 
land  office.  The  same  bill  has  been  reported  favorably  in 
the  senate,  and  will  probably  be  reached  on  the  calendar  in 
a  week  or  two.  and  be  made  a  law. 

The  bill  creating  the  new  territory  of  Pembina  out  of 
northern  Dakota  will  come  up  for  discussion  in  the  senate 
this  week,  unless  crowded  out  by  more  important  national 
questions.  The  house  committee  on  territories  is  awaiting 
the  action  of  the  senate  upon  the  Pembina  bill,  inasmuch  as 
the  latter  body  is  expected  to  take  early  action  in  the  prem- 
ises. 

The  bill  for  the  relief  of  certain  settlers  on  the  Fort  Ran- 
dall reservation  has  alread}'  passed  one  house,  and  is  on  the 
favorable  calendar  in  the  other;  but,  Ijke  other  bills,  it  will 
have  to  take  its  course  on  the  list,  and  may  not  be  reached 
for  several  weeks.  The  measure  for  the  survey  and  recon- 
noissance  of  the  Dakota  river,  also  the  bill  looking  to  the 
westerly  construction  of  the  Sioux  City  branch  of  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad  to  the  looth  meridian,  are  both  receiving  the 
proper  consideration  by  the  respective  committees. 

The  bill  introduced  in  the  early  part  of  the  session  asking 
an  appropriation  of  $6,000  to  repair  the  bridge  over  the  Big 
vSioux  river  between  Iowa  and  Dakota,  I  regret  to  say,  is 
not  looked  upon  favorably  by  the  commerce  committee.  The 
secretary  of  the  interior  rejjorts  that  the  government  has  al- 
ready expended  over  $20,000  in  constructing  said  bridge  for 
the  public  travel,  and  that  therefore  the  State  of  Iowa  and 


SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  3  I  5 

Territory  of  Dakota  oug-ht  to  keep  it  in  repair  for  their  own 
benefit.  The  injudicious  manner  in  which  the  former  appro- 
priation was  expended  has  had  a  tendency  to  defeat  the  con- 
struction of  any  more  g-overnment  bridges  in  the  territories 
superintended  by  civil  of^cers. 

Col.  C.  K.  Peck  and  E.  B.  Crawford  have  been  in  the 
city  several  days,  and  each  has  presented  his  statement  to  the 
attorney  general  in  regard  to  the  recent  conviction  of  the 
latter  in  one  of  the  Dakota  courts.  Ex-Secretary  Wilkins  of 
Dakota,  Ex-Secretary  Batchelder  and  Ex-Collector  of  Rev- 
enue Hodnett  are  all  denizens  of  Washington,  and  have  been 
here  for  a  year  or  two.  Colonel  Batchelder  is  said  to  be 
slowly  dying  in  hospital ;  Wilkins  is  daily  seen  upon  the 
streets,  apparently  a  man  of  leisure ;  Hodnett  is  engaged  in 
the  law  business,  and  declares  that  he  intends  to  be  "leader 
of  the'  bar."  George  Black,  who  was  shot  and  crippled  for 
life  while  acting  as  sheriff  in  Yankton  some  years  ago,  is  a 
clerk  in  the  general  land  office,  engaged  in  writing  land  pat- 
ents. Young  Rusk,  a  deputy  surveyor  in  Dakota  last  sum- 
mer, is  here  as  clerk  of  the  pension  committee  in  the  house 
of  representatives,  of  which  his  father  is  chairman.  Lee  Roy 
Woods  of  Springfield,  Dakota,  has  been  here  most  of  the 
winter,  and  is  about  to  start  to  Alaska,  with  a  government 
party  going  out  this  spring.  Surveyor  General  Dewey  left 
for  New  York  last  week.  Ex-Governor  Burbank  is  still  here. 
Judge  French  is  a  candidate  for  register  of  the  Bismarck 
land  office.  Brasher's  clerk,  who  was  some  time  ago  ap- 
pointed register  of  the  Pembina  office,  has  not  been  con- 
firmed by  the  senate.  The  above-named  land  office  will  be 
opened  at  Fargo  for  business  in  May,  a  temporary  delay  hav- 
ing been  occasioned  by  the  neglect  of  the  district  officers  to 
publish  the  notice  of  removal  thirty  days,  as  required  by  law. 


3l6       sketches  of  congress  and  western  empire. 

House  oe  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C,  April  21,  1874. 

The  scene  in  the  house  of  representatives  upon  the  receipt 
of  the  telegraphic  dispatch  on  Friday  last,  announcinc;  the 
election  of  Governor  Washburn  to  the  seat  in  the  senate 
lately  made  vacant  by  the  death  of  Senator  Sumner,  will  long 
be  remembered  as  a  lesson  of  instruction  to  public  men.  Mr. 
Dawes  and  Mr.  Hoar,  each  members  of  congress  from  Mas- 
sachusetts, who  had  for  a  number  of  days  been  receiving  the 
highest  votes  cast  for  senator  in  the  legislature  of  the  old 
commonwealth,  were  both  in  their  seats  when  the  news 
flashed  in  upon  the  house  that  they  were  both  defeated,  and 
that  a  new  man  was  elected  wlio  had  been  receiving  but  a 
dozen  votes  for  the  last  thirty  ballots. 

Mr.  Dawe?  had  up  to  this  day  been  constantly  leading  all 
other  competitors  in  the  contest,  receiving  as  high  as  rtinetv- 
five  votes  against  seventy-eight  for  Mr.  Hoar,  and  having 
served  his  state  so  faithfully  and  ably  for  eighteen  consecu- 
tive years  in  the  lower  house  of  congress,  it  was  naturallv 
believed,  not  only  by  himself,  but  by  most  of  the  members  of 
the  body  to  which  he  belonged,  that  he  would  finally  be  re- 
warded by  a  seat  in  the  United  States  senate.  The  defeat 
seemed  to  strike  the  poor  man  to  the  heart  like  the  thrust  of 
a  cold  dagger.  He  sat  silent  and  pale  in  his  seat,  resting  his 
head  calmly  upon  his  hand,  and  staring  despondently  across 
the  hall  as  though  pondering  over  the  eighteen  long  years 
of  his  past  public  life.  It  was  truly  a  pitiable  sight,  and  his 
fellow  members  of  the  house,  observing  that  he  was  so  af- 
fected, were  compassionate  enough  not  to  aggravate  his 
wounded  feelings  by  rushing  upon  him  with  the  usual  cold 
familiarities  of  the  world  in  the  way  of  regrets  and  condo- 
lence; but  his  sympathizing  friends  did  not  disturb  him  in 
his  meditations.  Mr.  Hoar,  his  antagonist,  who  had  encom- 
passed his  defeat  by  uniting  his  forces  with  others  upon 
Washburn,  sat  a  little  to  the  left  of  Mr.  Dawes,  with  the  grin 
of  satisfaction  upon  his  countenance,  manifestly  glorying  in 


SKETCHES    or    COXGRESS    AND    WESTERN    EMPIRE.  3 '7 

the  public  defeat  and  mental  angtifsh  of  his  fellow  man. 
Butler,  who  had  supported  Dawes  in  the  contest,  was  very 
differently  affected  from  either  of  the  others,  and  like  a 
goaded  lion,  he  became  enraged,  and  w-hile  speaking  in  favor 
of  the  free  dissemination  of  government  mail  matter,  he  gave 
some  ugly  thrusts  at  those  whom  he  termed  cowardly  Re- 
pubHcans  of  the  present  day,  and  who,  knowing  the  right, 
dare  not  maintain  it.  The  election  of  Washburn  is  looked 
upon  as  a  return  blow  at  Butler  and  President  Grant  for  re- 
cently appointing  Collector  Simons  of  Boston,  over  the  pro- 
test of  both  senators  and  the  majority  of  the  representatives 
from  the  State  of  Massachusetts. 

Both  houses  of  congress  have  finally  voted  in  favor  of  the 
bill  increasing  the  amount  of  treasury  notes  to  $400,000,000. 
and  the  house  of  representatives  has  also  passed  the  free  bank- 
ing bill,  under  the  provisions  of  which,  should  the  senate 
concur,  the  amount  of  national  bank  notes  is  expected  to 
reach  $400,000,000,  thus  giving  to  the  country  about  $800,- 
000,000  for  circulation.  The  test  vote  in  the  house  upon  the 
former  measure  was  taken  upon  tabling  the  bill  in  order  to 
kill  it,  but  this  motion  was  voted  down  by  165  to  82. 

The  votes  from  the  Pacific  coast  were  cast  against  an  in- 
crease of  paper  money  for  the  reason  that  the  gold  is  their 
own  production,  while  the  few  votes  from  the  West  recorded 
against  more  currency  were  cast  by  members  representing 
monied  districts. 

Mrs.  Ann  Eliza  Young,  the  divorced  wife  of  the  great 
Mormon  prophet,  Brigham  Young,  has  been  lecturing  here 
upon  her  bondage  in  Mdrmonism.  She  was  for  some  years 
the  nineteenth  wife  of  old  Brigham,  and  after  many  quarrels 
with  the  other  eighteen  wives,  she  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  she  could  not  get  along  with  only  the  nineteenth  part  of 
a  man.  She  declares  that  she  wants  a  man,  a  whole  man,  and 
nothing  but  a  man.  She  assails  the  present  delegate  in  con- 
gress from  Utah,  Mr.  Cannon,  for  having  four  wives  in  Salt 
Lake,  whom  he  leaves  at  home  while  he  luxuriates  in  ^^'ash- 


3l8  SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

ington.  Ben.  Butler  bluffly  says  that  it  is  no  worse  for  a 
Mormon  apostle  to  have  four  wives  if  he  supports  them  than 
it  is  for  a  congressman  to  leave  his  only  wife  at  home  and 
keep  four  women  in  Washington.  It  is  believed  that  Anna 
Eliza  slightly  exaggerates  the  miseries  of  ]^.Iormonism  in 
order  to  make  her  lectures  sensational  and  draw  full  audi- 
ences at  fifty  cents  a  head.  She  says  Brigham  has  one  old 
tyrant  of  a  wife,  who  rules  not  only  himself,  but  all  his  other 
wives ;  that  this  one  gets  all  the  nice  cakes  and  things,  while 
the  others  have  to  live  poorly  and  dress  cheaply,  and  are 
withal  objects  of  general  neglect. 

Inspector  General  Hardie  is  now  at  Binghamton,  New 
York,  examining  R.  M.  Hagaman,  the  deputy  territorial  au- 
ditor, who  issued  the  warrants  for  payment  of  the  Dakota 
war  claims  in  1862.  From  there  he  goes  to  Mew  England 
to  take  the  testimony  of  Judge  Tufts,  who  was  appointed  by 
the  legislature  in  1873  to  audit  the  militia  claims  of  1862. 
He  has  also  to  visit  Ex-Governor  Jayne  and  Ex-Secretary 
Hutchinson,  in  Illinois,  who,  in  the  troublesome  days  of  Da- 
kota, issued  the  proclamation  calling  out  the  militia  forces. 
He  expects  to  be  able  to  make  his  report  in  May. 

The  Bismarck  land  district  bill  has  passed  both  branches 
of  congress  and  become  a  law.  Ex-Governor  Aliller  of  Alin- 
nesota  is  expecting  to  be  appointed  register  of  the  new  office, 
and  is  urged  by  the  congressional  delegation  of  his  state.  It 
is  reported  that  the  register  and  receiver  of  the  Pembina- 
Fargo  land  office  are  both  to  be  removed  for  general  neglect 
of  duty.  The  Yankton  land  district  is  to  be  enlarged  so  as 
to  include  the  James  river  valley  as  far  up  as  Alilltown  or 
Rockport.  After  the  ist  of  July  the  salary  of  the  Yankton 
postmaster  will  be  $2,500  a  year,  with  $900  additional  for 
clerk  hire,  which  is  warranted  by  the  increased  proceeds  of 
the  office. 


sketches  of  congress  and  western  empire.         319 

House  of  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C,  April  28,  1874. 
President  Grant  has  "gone  back  on  himself,"  and  vetoed 
the  finance  bill  as  passed  by  a  large  majority  of  both  branches 
of  congress.  The  president  had  repeatedly  manifested  his 
anxiety  that  congress  should  pass  somt  law  to  sustain  his 
unwarranted  issue  of  $26,000,000  of  the  reserve  fund  in  the 
treasury  last  fall,  to  satisfy  at  that  time  the  greedy  demands 
of  the  failing  Wall  street  brokers.  No  sooner  had  congress 
acted  favorably  upon  the  bill  to  increase  the  volume  of  cur- 
rency to  meet  the  growth  of  business  and  population,  so  as 
to  prevent  any  further  "drouth"  in  the  money  market  and 
thereby  relieve  the  president  from  further  draining  the  re- 
serves of  the  treasury,  than  he  again  plays  into  the  hands  of 
the  money  kings  of  the  East  by  vetoing  the  bill  which  was 
calculated  to  distribute  more  money  to  the  West  and  South. 
He  now  argues  in  his  veto  that  a  further  issue  of  paper  money 
would  depreciate  the  value  of  the  true  dollar,  as  though  a 
paper  dollar  issued  to-day  w^as  not  as  good  as  one  issued 
during  the  war.  As  well  might  a  banker  claim  that  he  could 
not  draw  a  draft  for  a  Western  man  to-day,  because  he  had 
issued  one  to  an  Eastern  man  yesterday.  The  New  England 
money  loaners  have  made  the  president  believe  that  the  fewer 
dollars  there  are  in  existence  the  more  valuable  they  are. 
Hence  his  own  salary  of  $50,000  a  year  is  worth  more  to  him 
now,  because  money  is  scarce.  So  with  money  loaners,  their 
interest  is  higher.  So  with  the  army  and  all  government 
officials  and  employes  who  receive  fixed  and  steady  salaries. 
Their  dollars  are  worth  more,  because  there  is  such  a  want 
among  the  laboring  and  producing  classes  of  the  South  and 
West.  The  South  and  West  know  there  is  plenty  of  money 
in  the  East,  and  that  it  cannot  be  reached  by  the  men  who 
would  give  grain  or  cotton  or  mortgages  at  a  fair  percentage 
for  it.  The  six  New  England  states,  with  a  population  of 
3,487,924,  with  a  property  valuation  of  $4,000,875,247  have 
a  circulation  of  $11,489,966;  while  the  twenty-three  Western 


320  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

and  Southern  States,  with  a  population  of  24,217,341,  and  a 
property  valuation  of  $12,770,112,682,  have  a  circulation  of 
only  $111,409,156.  The  remedy  is  in  the  redistribution  of 
the  national  bank  currency,  of  which  the  East  holds  over 
$80,000,000  in  excess,  and  an  increase  of  circulation  by  the 
issue  of  greenbacks  to  the  amount  of  $44,000,000,  which  were 
redeemed  by  Secretary  McCulloch.  The  South  and  West 
expect  that  when  the  new  currency  is  thrown  into  circulation, 
holders  of  it  will  demand  at  higher  prices  the  cotton  and 
grain  which  they  have  to  supply. 

Since  the  president's  veto  the  representatives  of  congress 
from  the  Southern  and  Western  States,  possessing,  as  they 
do,  a  majority  in  both  branches  of  congress,  have  expressed 
a  determination  to  make  the  issue  a  sectional  one,  and  will 
carry  the  war  to  the  ballot  box  in  futrire  elections. 

The  national  issue  will  be  capital  against  labor,  and  the 
representatives  of  the  great  producing  states  of  the  South 
and  West  are  already  at  work  devising  plans  to  carry  through 
congress  measures  for  the  improvements  of  Western  water- 
courses, whereby  their  products  will  seek  other  markets  than 
those  of  New  York  and  New  England.  Philadelphia,  backed 
by  the  great  State  of  Pennsylvania,  who  stood  nobly  by  the 
West  in  the  late  currency  struggle,  is  likely  to  become  the 
successful  rival  of  New  York  for  the  future  trade  and  com- 
merce of  the  West  and  South. 

Ocean  steamers  run  direct  from  Philadelphia  to  the  great 
markets  of  the  Old  World,  and  emigrants  are  beginning  to 
prefer  the  Philadelphia  and  Antwerp  line  of  steamships  to 
those  of  New  York,  for  the  reason  that  they  are  landed  im- 
mediately at  the  docks  from  which  trains  depart  for  all  sec- 
tions of  the  West.  Emigrant  fare  from  Liverpool  to  Dakota 
via  Philadelphia  line  has  been  reduced  to  less  than  fifty  dol- 
lars. 

The  representatives  in  congress  from  New  York  and  New 
England,  becoming  somewhat  alarmed  at  the  majority  in 
both  branches  held  by  the  South  and  West,  are  already  mak- 


SKETCHES    OF   CONGRKSS    AND   WESTERN   EMPIRE.  32  1 

ing  overtures,  since  the  veto,  to  give  $25,000,000  circulation 
to  those  sections  from  the  overplus  now  held  in  the  East,  and 
also  to  add  the  free  banking  privilege. 

Comptroller  Knox  is  boldly  charged  with  evading  the 
law  in  reference  to  the  four  million  odd  dollars  of  untaken 
circulation  still  in  his  possession.  Notwithstanding  this  re- 
cently-discovered balance,  it  is  claimed  that  he  has  refused 
to  establish  national  banks  in  the  West  and  South,  on  the 
ground  that  there  was  no  currency  due  those  sections.  In 
the  senate  to-day  thirty-seven  votes  were  cast  for  passing  the 
finance  bill  over  the  president's  veto,  and  thirty  to  sustain  the 
veto.  Senator  Thurman  said  the  "president  had  lost  his 
party." 

The  general  appropriation  bill  which  passed  the  house  this 
week  contained  an  item  of  $40,000  for  defraying  the  territo- 
rial expenses  of  Dakota  for  the  next  year,  aside  from  the  con- 
tingent expenses  of  running  the  United  States  courts  in  the 
territory,  which  last  year  ran  up  to  about  as  much  more. 

The  proposed  miscellaneous  appropriation  bill  gives  Da- 
kota $60,000  for  surveying  next  season,  which  is  $20,500 
more  than  any  other  territory. 

The  Bismarck  land  office  is  to  be  opened  for  business  the 
I  St  of  June.  E.  M.  Bowen,  of  the  Press  and  Dakotan,  was 
to-day  appointed  receiver,  and  Ex-Governor  Miller  of  Min- 
nesota register  of  the  new  office.  The  commissioner  of  the 
general  land  office  contemplates  the  removal  of  the  Spring- 
field land  office  into  the  upper  settlement  on  James  river,  and 
then  incorporating  the  counties  of  Bonhomme,  Hutchinson 
and  Armstrong  into  the  Yankton  district.  Official  reports 
here  show  that  the  business  of  the  Sioux  Falls  land  office 
exceeds  all  others  in  the  territory. 

It  is  also  reported  that  the  \A'inona  &  St.  Peter  Railroad 
Company  intend  to  continue  their  road  forty  miles  to  James 
river  this  season,  and  there  terminate  for  the  present. 


322       sketches  of  congress  axd  western  empire. 

House  of  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C,  May  12,  1874. 

The  warm  May  sunshine  and  showers  in  this  midland  cli- 
mate have  brought  out  the  flowers  and  leaves  in  profusion  in 
the  parks  and  public  grounds,  and  the  odor  of  new-mown 
hay  fills  the  balmy  air.  Fields  of  rye  and  wheat  are  already 
in  head  along  the  southern  slopes  of  the  Potomac  river. 
However,  the  spring  has  been  cold  and  drizzling  here  until 
the  opening *of  May.  Not  much  over  a  week  ago  a  "'sugar 
snow''  fell,  some  two  inches  in  depth,  spreading  its  white 
sheets  over  the  beautiful  green  grass  and  budding  blossoms 
of  hill  and  dale.  Now  summer  heat  is  crowding  upon  us 
and  running  up  to  ninety-two  degrees  in  the  shade.  It  is 
even  getting  "too  hot  for  congress." 

Speaker  Blaine  yesterday,  for  the  first  time  in  congress, 
was  drawn  into  a  sharp  controversy  with  Mr.  Garfield,  chair- 
man of  the  committee  on  appropriations,  which  latter  gen- 
tleman is  becoming  seriously  aftlicted  with  what  congress- 
men call  the  "big  head.''  Several  times  during  the  session 
he  has  endeavored  to  use  up  Mondays,  as  well  as  other  days, 
in  considering  his  appropriation  bills,  to  the  exclusion  of  all 
other  business.  He  has  become  imbued  with  the  belief,  which 
appears  to  pervade  very  many  of  the  members  from  all  the 
older  settled  states,  that  this  country  is  not  growing,  but  is 
stationary  like  the  old  districts  of  the  East,  and  is  therefore 
in  need  of  no  further  legislation  than  the  fixed  and  steady 
appropriations  from  year  to  year  to  carry  on  the  government. 
Yesterday  the  majority  of  the  house  thought  otherwise,  and 
wished  to  proceed  with  some  special  legislation  important  to 
their  respective  localities,  especially  in  the  West  and  South, 
whereupon  Mr.  Garfield  got  angry,  and  moved  to  adjourn 
the  house  in  the  early  part  of  the  day,  while  forty  members 
were  on  their  feet  to  present  measures  for  action.  The 
speaker  declined  to  recognize  Mr.  Garfield's  motion  for  this 
purpose,  and  sharply  added  that  the  mover  was  endeavoring 
to  gag  the  house  in  its  legitimate  legislative  privilege.     Gar- 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRKSS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  32.5 

field  said  he  did  not  propose  to  be  told  his  duty  by  the 
speaker,  and  that  officer  retorted  that  he  would  not  allow  the 
interests  of  292  representatives  of  all  sections  of  the  country 
to  be  thwarted  by  a  spiteful  motion  to  adjourn  the  house 
soon  after  it  had  assembled. 

Congressman  Mellish  of  New  York  left  the  house  yester- 
day in  an  excited  state  of  mind,  declaring-  that  either  congress 
was  crazy  or  he  was.  It  is  reported  to-day  that  he  is  tem- 
porarily deranged  from  overwork  and  legislative  anxiety.  He 
was  a  strong  currency  "contractionist,"  but  had  made  many 
"inflated"  speeches  on  the  subject.  Ben  Butler  declared  that 
the  '"contractionists"  are  all  crazy,  and  too  stingy  to  let  the 
world  grow. 

Two  hundred  and  twelve  thousand  dollars  of  the  muti- 
lated notes  of  national  banks  were  burned,  for  redemption,  by 
the  treasury  department  yesterday.  The  writer  hereof  was 
called  as  a  witness  to  the  official  burning.  Upon  entering 
the  redemption  division  a  dozen  men  or  more  were  seen 
seated  around  a  long  board  table  upon  which  were  piled  up, 
like  sticks  of  stove  wood,  the  dirty,  ragged  bundles  of  bank 
bills  which  had  been  sent  in  to  be  destroyed  and  replaced  by 
ne\V  notes.  The  men  were  busily  counting  and  comparing 
the  different  packages  of  worthless  stuff,  which  had  passed 
through  thousands  of  hands  as  precious  money,  but  was  now, 
like  a  discarded  woman,  to  be  cast  aside  for  a  new  and  pret- 
tier face.  When  counted  and  labeled  the  packages  were  tum- 
bled into  boxes,  locked  and  the  remains  followed  by  wit- 
nesses, driven  like  a  corpse,  to  the  place  of  "cremation," 
which  is  in  a  little  brick  building",  down  in  a  green  pasture, 
at  the  rear  of  the  White  House.  Here  a  fire  was  started  in 
a  furnace,  resembling  a  large  bake  oven,  and  while  the 
mourning  witnesses  stood  by,  a  mad-looking  clerk  unlocked 
the  boxes  and  commenced  to  throw  the  great  bundles  of 
greenbacks  into  the  fire,  with  as  much  carelessness  as  a  man 
would  throw  ears  of  corn  to  the  hogs.  As  the  fire  blazed  up, 
a  large  black  negro  with  long,  iron  handled  pitch  fork,  com- 


324  SKETCHES    OF   CONGRESS    AND    WESTERN    EMPIRE. 

menced  to  "poke  up"  the  fire  and  to  mix  the  money  with  the 
flames.  In  about  thirty  minutes  all  that  remained  of  the 
$212,000  was  a  nest  of  white  cinders  resembling  fish  scales, 
and  we  departed  sick  of  money. 

The  river  and  harbor  appropriation  bill  which  passed  the 
house  of  representatives  yesterday,  contained  a  clause  author- 
izing the  secretary  of  war  to  detail  a  corps  of  engineers  for 
the  purpose  of  making  a  survey  and  examination  of  the  Da- 
kota river  from  Yankton  to  Jamestown,  and  report  to  con- 
gress the  practicability  of  improving  the  channel  of  said 
stream  so  as  to  render  it  a  means  of  a  flat-boat  transportation 
through  central  Dakota,  between  the  Northern  Pacific  and 
Southern  Dakota  Railroads, 

A  bill  also  passed  the  house  yesterday  for  the  relief  of 
settlers  on  odd-numbered  sections  within  railroad  limits,  by 
the  provisions  of  which  the  many  homestead  claimants  in 
northern  Dakota,  who  settled  by  mistake  upon  lands  belong- 
ing to  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad,  and  have  opened  farms 
thereon,  shall  be  allowed  to  select  even-numbered  sections  of 
government  land  in  lieu  thereof.  The  secretary  of  the  in- 
terior has  also  confirmed  the  decision  of  the  commissioner 
of  the  general  land  office,  in  favor  of  settlers  in  the  upper 
Sioux  valley,  within  the  Hmits  of  the  land  grant  to  the  Wi- 
nona &  St.  Peter  Railroad,  made  in  1857. 

The  Indian  appropriation  bill,  which  passed  the  house  this 
week,  made  provision  for  about  three  millions  of  dollars  to 
clothe  and  feed  the  red  people  on  the  Upper  Missouri  and  its 
tributaries  during  the  next  fiscal  year. 

The  president  has  authorized  the  appointment  of  W.  K. 
Hollenbeck  of  Finley,  Turner  county,  to  be  collector  of  in- 
ternal revenue  for  Dakota.  Mr.  Plollenbeck  is  a  brother-in- 
law  of  Hon.  G.  G.  Hoskins,  member  of  congress  from  the 
State  of  New  York,  and  was  accordingly  recommended  by 
nearly  the  entire  Republican  delegation  in  congress  from  that 
state.  Mr.  Bennett,  the  present  incumbent,  being  a  resident 
in  the  southeast  extreme  corner  of  the  territory,  it  was  consid- 


ske;tche;s  of  congress  and  western  empire.        325 

ered  for  the  benefit  of  the  public  service,  that  the  office  should 
be  sent  farther  into  the  interior  counties. 

The  bill  for  the  relief  of  settlers  on  the  Fort  Randall  mil- 
itary reservation  has  finally,  after  many  years'  effort,  passed 
both  houses  of  congress.  The  bill  throws  open  to  settlement 
that  portion  of  the  reserve  east  of  the  Missouri  river,  and 
appropriates  $18,018.80,  or  so  much  thereof  as  may  be  nec- 
essary, to  pay  the  settlers  for  such  improvements  as  were 
taken  by  the  military  authorities  and  not  returned  or  deliv- 
ered. 


House  of  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C,  May  26,  1874. 

The  recent  warm  weather  in  Washington  has  had  not 
only  an  impressing  but  depressing  effect  upon  congress,  and 
both  branches  have  passed  resolutions  to  adjourn  on  the  22d 
of  June.  The  members  sit  through  the  long  hours  in  the 
hot  halls,  beneath  the  burning  glass  roof,  with  doors  all  open, 
through  which  much  of  the  hitherto  pent-up  eloquence  bursts 
forth  upon  the  groves  and  parks,  and  like  the  poet's  blossom, 
"wastes  its  sweetness  on  the  desert  air."  Loungers,  lobby- 
ists and  old  women  blunder  through  the  open  doors  into  the 
legislative  halls  while  congress  is  in  full  blast,  much  to  the 
annoyance  of  the  doorkeepers.  Members  order  fans  as  an 
item  of  stationery,  and  the  portly  reading  clerks  are  con- 
stantly fanning  themselves  while  reading  the  long  appropria- 
tion bills  to  the  house.  Most  of  the  smaller  bills  are  being 
put  aside  to  give  way  to  the  larger  and  more  important  bills 
of  a  national  character. 

In  my  last  letter  I  referred  to  the  fact  that  Representative 
Mellish  of  New  York  had  been  taken  from  his  seat  in  con- 
gress and  conveyed  to  the  insane  asylum  in  this  city.  He  be- 
came delirious  at  the  institution,  and  refusing  to  take  food  or 
to  sleep,  he  died  on  Saturday  last,  and  his  funeral  took  place 


326  SKETCHES    OF    CONGRESS    AND    WESTERIST    EMPIRE. 

in  the  house  of  representatives  to-day,  at  four  o'clock.  His 
coffin,  wreathed  in  snowy  white  flowers,  was  broiis^ht  in  an(il 
placed  immediately  in  front  of  the  desk  which  but  a  little  over 
a  week  before  he  had  occupied,  apparenth  in  health  and 
vigor.  The  senate  came  over  in  a  body,  and  took  seats  to 
the  right  of  the  remains.  The  oalleries  were  crowded  with 
spectators,  and  the  ceremonies  were  solemn  and  impressive. 
The  warm  spring  weather  of  late  has  been  favorable  to 
the  prosecution  of  the  immense  fishing  trade  along  the  Po- 
tomac river.  Tt  is  probably  well  known  to  your  readers  that 
Georgetown,  two  miles  above  Washington,  is  one  of  the 
largest  shad  and  herring  markets  in  the  United  States,  while 
the  Potomac  below  swarms  with  these  species  of  the  finny 
tribe.  The  business  is  prosecuted  on  an  extensive  scale,  and 
im.mense  seines,  nearlv  a  mile  in  length  and  fifty  feet  in 
depth  are  daily  set  out  in  this  ri\-er  and  hauled  in  by  steam, 
often  bringing  in  at  one  draw  10,000  herring  and  as  many 
thousand  of  shad  and  mixed  fishes.  Fishing  smacks  or  open 
flat-boats  are  on  hand  to  be  loaded  up  with  the  live  and  wrig- 
gling mass  and  taken  to  the  Alexandria,  Washington  or 
Georgetown  markets.  Great  brawny  negro  men  and  women 
are  principally  employed  in  handling  and  transporting  these 
flopping  masses.  They  will  stand  bare-legged,  knee-deep  in 
a  boat  load  of  squirming  fish,  eels  and  bull  pouts,  shoveling 
them  out  on  the  wharf,  for  hours  in  succession,  singing  their 
old  Southern  plantation  songs.  Myriads  of  the  small  fish 
together  with  the  heads  and  entrails  of  the  larger  ones  are 
carted  out  and  spread  as  fertilizers  upon  the  surface  of  the 
worn-out  and  sterile  fields  of  Virginia  and  Maryland.  Some 
forty  miles  down  the  Potomac,  where  the  salt  sea  tide  is 
perceptibly  felt,  we  also  find  the  beginning  of  oyster  beds, 
which  increase  in  their  products  for  the  market  as  we  pro- 
ceed down  the  river  to  the  Chesapeake  Bay,  ninety  miles  from 
Washington  Here,  also,  we  find  the  festive  sea  crab,  the 
lobster  and  the  clam,  all  of  which  are  served  up  in  choice 
dishes  for  the  Southern  table,  i)ut  they  will  make  a  Northern 
man  as  sick  as  a  sea  lion. 


SKETCHES    OF    CONGRESS    AND    WESTERN    EMITRE. 


.i  -  / 


The  lono^  and  continued  efforts  of  the  people  of  Dakota 
to  secure  the  opening  of  the  pine  forests  and  mineral  lands 
of  the  Black  Hills  seems  about  to  be  crowned  with  success. 
About  two  years  ago,  it  will  be  remembered.  Delegate  Arm- 
strong introduced  a  bill  in  congress  looking  to  the  purchase 
of  these  hills  from  the  Indians,  and  that  the  secretary  of  the 
interior,  in  an  official  communication  gave  it  as  his  opinion 
that  the  Black  Hills  were  no  longer  needed  as  a  part  of  the 
reservation  for  the  Sioux  Indians,  and  that  as  soon  as  the 
public  interests  would  admit,  the  government  would  make 
an  examination  of  that  section  with  a  view  to  ascertain  the 
value  thereof  to  civilization  and  settlement.  That  time  has 
now  come.  The  government  has  a  large  force  of  mounted 
troops  in  the  territory  under  General  Custer,  and  General 
Sheridan  has  decided  to  let  him  probe  the  Black  Hills,  and 
make  known  its  reported  wealth  in  mines  and  forests.  Both 
the  interior  and  Avar  departments  agree  that  it  is  not  cred- 
itable to  the  government  that  the  Black  Hills  of  Dakota 
should  longer  remain  a  mysterious  and  unknown  land,  in  the 
very  heart  of  the  continent.  Hence,  it  is  now  proposed  that 
a  military  expedition  will  start  from  Fort  Lincoln  about  the 
middle  of  June,  under  the  command  of  Gen.  George  A.  Cus- 
ter, who  will  be  accompanied  by  Col.  Frederick  D.  Grant 
and  General  Forsyth,  of  General  Sheridan's  staff,  and  Colonel 
Laidley,  of  the  ordnance  department,  as  staff  officers.  The 
expedition,  which  General  Sheridan  predicts  will  be  the  most 
interesting  one  since  the  war,  will  be  absent  two  months. 
Ten  companies  of  cavalry,  a  detachment  of  scouts,  and  a  sec- 
tion of  gatling  guns  will  accompany  the  explorers. 

President  Grant  is  reported  to  have  expressed  himself  in 
favor  of  transferring  to  the  charge  of  the  war  department  all 
the  wild  tribes  of  Indians  in  the  West  who  roam  about  at 
will.  The  policy  would  be  certainly  a  wise  one.  The  Indian 
contracts  for  the  next  fiscal  year  are  to  be  advertised  this 
week.     Yankton  is  made  a  point  of  delivery. 


328        sketches  of  congress  and  western  empire. 

House  of  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C.  Tune  15.  1874. 

One  week  from  to-day  is  the  time  that  has  been  fixed 
upon  for  the  final  adjournment  of  both  houses  of  the  present 
session  of  congress.  As  that  date  draws  near  the  various 
measures  of  legislation  are  being  crowded  to  a  conclusion, 
eliciting  much  heated  discussion  and  close  voting,  which  nec- 
essarily runs  out  into  long  night  sessions. 

All  of  the  twelve  appropriation  bills  for  the  year  have 
passed  the  house,  and  many  of  them  are  through  the  senate. 
The  twelve  bills  appropriate  about  $175,000,000  to  defray 
the  annual  expenses  of  the  government  for  the  next  fiscal 
year. 

The  new  currency  bill  reported  by  a  conference  commit- 
tee of  the  two  branches  was  last  Friday  defeated  in  the  house, 
the  Democrats  voting  in  a  body  against  the  bill.  It  was  the 
first  strict  party  vote  that  has  been  cast  this  session,  and  the 
measure  was  opposed  by  the  Democrats  on  the  ground  that 
it  provided  for  no  increase  of  currency  except  in  the  form 
of  national  bank  notes  in  place  of  United  States  treasury 
notes. 

A  new  conference  committee  has  been  appointed,  and 
another  attempt  will  be  made  to  agree  upon  some  bill  as  a 
compromise  measure,  that  may  become  a  law  before  the  ad- 
journment of  the  present  session. 

The  civil  rights  bill  (known  as  the  Sumner  bill)  was  vir- 
tually killed  in  the  house  last  week,  by  that  body  refusing, 
by  a  vote,  to  take  the  bill  from  the  speaker's  table.  The  civil 
service  humbug  has  also  been  effectually  abolished  by  strik- 
ing out  the  annual  appropriation  to  continue  the  bureau. 
The  tariff  and  tax  bill  created  much  sharp  and  interesting  de- 
bate by  the  representatives  from  districts,  largely  interested 
in  the  manufacture  and  production  of  the  different  articles  of 
taxation.  The  duty  on  imported  articles  in  many  instances 
was  somewhat  increased  in  order  to  afford  protection  to 
home  industries,  and  thereby  keep    our   money  from  going 


SKETCHES    OF   CONGRESS    AND   WESTERN    EMPIRE.  329 

abroad.  The  investigation  instituted  by  congress  in  the 
alleged  extravagant  and  reckless  expenditure  of  public 
money  for  street  improvements,  etc.,  in  the  city  of  Wash- 
ington, has  revealed  such  shameful  frauds  under  the  new 
territorial  government  of  Columbia  that  the  joint  investiga- 
tion committee  has  reported  a  bill  to  each  house  of  congress 
abolishing  the  territorial  organization,  and  placing  the  affairs 
of  the  district  under  the  control  of  congress.  False  and  ex- 
cessive measurements  were  found  to  have  been  made,  where- 
by in  many  cases  the  United  States  was  charged  with:  the 
cost  of  cutting,  grading,  and  paving  whole  streets,  along 
which  the  property  holders  were  also  taxed  to  pay  for  half 
the  same.  In  one  single  contract  of  grading  an  avenue  the 
government  was  overcharged  some  $62,000. 

The  present  congress  is  much  more  favorable  toward  tlie 
admission  of  new  states  into  the  Union  than  to  the  organ- 
ization of  any  more  new  and  expensive  territories.  In  the 
one  case  the  government  is  relieved  of  an  annual  expense  by 
the  new  state  supporting  itself,  while  in  the  other  case  an 
annual  cost  is  imposed  upon  the  national  treasury  by  the 
establishment  of  a  new  territo^^^  At  the  last  census  of  1870 
the  Territory  of  New  Mexico  contained  a  population  of  up- 
wards of  91,000,  and  Colorado  Territory  in  August,  1873, 
numbered  105,000  inhabitants.  Notwithstanding  the  fact 
that  there  is  an  existing  provision  of  congress  that  no  new 
state  shall  be  admitted  into  the  Union  with  a  less  population 
than  130,000,  yet  the  territories  of  New  Mexico  and  Colorado 
have  recently  been  admitted  by  a  vote  of  three  to  one  in  the 
house  of  representatives.  The  South  and  West  seemed  to 
be  as  united  on  this  point  as  upon  the  currency  question,  and 
there  is  a  manifest  determination  to  admit  the  Western  ter- 
ritories as  states,  until  the  South  and  West  will  have  votes 
enough  in  the  senate  to  rebuke  and  set  aside  presidential  ve- 
toes when  interposed  against  the  interests  of  these  two  great 
sections  of  the  country.  Dakota  and  Washington  Territories 
are  the  next  ones  likely  to  be  favorably  considered  should 


330  SKETCHES    OF    CONGRESS    AND    WESTERN    EMPIRE. 

they  make  application  to  be  vested  with  the  powers  of  state 
government.  Dakota  is  the  nearest  and  most  easily  reached 
from  the  east  of  all  the  territories  in  the  Union,  and  is  ac- 
knowledged as  possessing  the  finest  agricultural  lands  in  the 
West,  is  surrounded  almost  entirely  by  other  states,  and  con- 
stantly accumulating  a  population  of  the  most  abiding  and 
permanent  character.  Tt  is  estimated  that  Dakota  contains 
at  present  about  i;o.ooo  inhabitants,  and  that  within  two  years 
time  the  population  will  reach  100,000.  Washington  Terri- 
tory already  has  some  60,000  people,  and  is  expected  to  con- 
tain enough  in  two  or  three  years  more  to  admit  her  as  a 
state.  The  Colorado  and  New  Mexico  bills  which  have 
passed  the  house  will  be  taken  up  in  the  senate  for  action  at 
the  next  session  of  congress,  in  December. 

The  senate  has  authorized  an  appropriation  to  the  river 
and  harbor  bill  for  making  the  surveys  and  estimates  for  the 
four  great  transportation  routes  to  the  Eastern  seaboard, 
which  were  recently  recommended  by  Senator  Windom's 
committee  on  cheap  transportation.  Much  opposition  is 
manifested  to  the  four  favored  routes,  and  the  measure  may 
be  rejected  in  the  house.  The  recent  great  floods  in  the 
lower  Mississippi,  whereby  whole  counties  were  inundated, 
and  hundreds  of  miles  of  the  cotton-growing  regions  of  the 
South  completely  submerged,  with  great  loss  of  life  and  prop- 
erty, have  all  been  brought  to  the  attention  of  congress,  and 
nearly  a  million  dollars  have  been  appropriated  to  relieve  the 
sufferers  and  restore  the  cotton  crop  of  the  season. 

It  is  clearly  evident  that  the  coming  great  national  issue 
between  parties  is  to  reduce  itself  to  a  sectional  one.  The 
recent  united  and  controlling  votes  of  the  South  and  West  in 
congress  is  but  a  warning  of  the  approaching  great  battle 
between  labor  and  capital.  On  all  questions  of  more  money, 
cheap  transportation  and  equality  of  taxation  the  people  have 
a  commanding-  majority  in  congress  and  at  the  polls,  while 
in  opposition  the  East  holds  the  control  of  the  present  finan- 
ces of  the  country,  with  a  president  in  their  interests.     In  a 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  .V^  ^ 

very  remarkable  debate  the  other  day  a  prominent  rej^resen- 
tative  boldly  asked  what  could  the  president  and  New  Eng-- 
land  do  about  it  if  a  majority  of  the  o^reat  states  of  the  Union 
should  decide  to  withdraw  and  set  up  a  ie:overnment  of  their 
own.  Who 'Would  have  the  power  to  stay  their  will,  pos- 
sessing as  they  do  the  strength  of  the  nation.  Tn  a  Repub- 
lican government  the  maiority  rules,  and  no  presidential  veto 
or  arbitrary  power  will  long  be  tolerated  when  persistently 
thrust  in  the  path  of  the  people. 

The  annual  decoration  day  was  appropriately  observed  at 
the  national  capitol.  Some  40.000  soldiers'  graves  in  the 
cemeteries  surrounding  Washington — Union  and  Confeder- 
ate dead  alike — were  strewn  with  fresh  flowers  from  the  hands 
of  fifteen  thousand  visitors.  A  little  American  flag  was  nailed 
to  the  head-board  of  every  grave,  which  gave  to  the  great 
field  of  the  dead  the  appearance  of  a  sleeping  army  with  ban- 
ners still  waving.  Very  many  of  the  white  h^ad-boards  bear 
the  single  word  "Unknown,"  and  such  were  generally  ob- 
served by  some  kind  lady  who  would  sprinkle  thereon  a  hand- 
full  of  flowers  or  roses.  Speeches  were  made,  cannons  were 
fired,  poetry  recited  and  the  bands  played,  after  which  the 
living  throng  departed  from  the  field  of  the  dead  to  engage 
in  the  noisy  whirl  of  life. 

Mr.  True  of  the  Vermillion  Republican  is  stopping  over 
here  for  a  few  days,  on  his  way  to  his  old  home  in  Maine. 
He  says  it  is  absolutey  True  that  Dakota  must  have  a  True 
Republican  delegate  in  congress  next  term,  so  that  the  ter- 
ritory may  be  admitted  into  the  Union  as  a  Republican  state. 
L.  D.  F.  Poore  and  U.  N.  judd,  register  and  receiver  of  the 
Springfield  land  office,  have  sent  on  a  long  protest  against 
the  removal  of  that  office  to  any  other  point  of  the  district. 
They  charge  that  Governor  Pennington,-  General  Dewey  and 
Delegate  Armstrong  are  interested  in  the  town  of  Firesteel, 
and  are  therefore  working  to  have  the  ofifice  removed  to  that 
place.  Brule  City  has  made  application  for  the  removal  of 
the  office  to  that  enterprising  town.     Senators  Hamlin  and 


332  SKETCHES    OF    CONGRESS    AND    WESTERN    EMPIRE. 

Morton,  who  are  interested  in  Springfield  property,  have  also 
requested  that  the  office  remain  at  that  town.  Hence  the 
commissioner  of  the  general  land  office  is  in  a  qnandary  to 
know  if  there  is  any  other  town  in  Dakota  in  which  nobody 
owns  any  lots. 

General  Hardie  has  been  busily  at  work  on  his  report 
upon  the  Dakota  war  claims,  but  on  account  of  the  volumi- 
nous evidence  he  has  not  yet  been  able  to  get  the  matter 
ready  for  the  action  of  congress,  and  it  is  therefore  feared  that 
the  money  will  not  be  appropriated  until  next  December. 
Should  the  report  get  in  this  week  it  may  possibly  be  at- 
tended to  before  the  adjournment  on  the  226.  inst. 


House  oe  Representatives, 
Washington.  D.  C,  Dec.  7,  1874. 

The  second  session  of  the  Forty-third  congress  assembled 
to-day  at  noon,  with  a  full  quorum  of  both  houses  present. 
The  galleries  were  crowded  with  spectators,  and  the  city  is 
thronged  with  visitors.  Very  many  of  the  members-elect 
to  the  Forty-fourth  congress  were  present  as  lookers-on, 
eagerly  eyeing  the  seats  they  are  to  occupy  after  the  4th  of 
March  next.  Very  many  long  faces  were  also  noticed  among 
the  defeated  Republican  members  who  are  to  vacate  their 
seats  forever  at  the  close  of  the  present  session.  The  irre- 
pressible Ben  Butler  looks  like  a  bull  dog  who  had  lost  his 
bone,  and  he  strutted  around  with  his  never-failing  unlighted 
cigar  in  his  mouth  for  bluff,  and  finally  sauntered  over  to  the 
Democratic  side  of  the  house,  and  laughingly  said  he  came 
over  to  shake  hands  with  the  victors,  "across  the  bloody 
chasm." 

Speaker  Blaine  in  the  chair  looked  like  the  wreck  of  a 
would-be  president,  whose  hopes  had  been  dashed  upon  the 
sands  of  time.  Dawes,  the  present  Republican  leader  of  the 
house,  who  is  not  returned  to  the  next  congress,  seemed  com- 


SKETCHES    OF   CONGRESS    AND    WESTERN    EMPIRE.  333 

pletely  broken  down,  and  as  submissive  as  a  lamb.  Garfield, 
chairman  of  the  appropriation  committee,  whose  majority 
was  reduced  from  10,000  to  3,000 — virtual  repudiation — was 
far  less  noisy  than  usual,  to  think  that  he  must  go  to  the  foot 
of  some  committee  in  the  Forty-fourth  congress.  Maynard, 
the  tall,  long-haired  Southern  Republican  of  Tennessee,  who 
was  overwhelmingly  defeated,  looked  like  a  weeping  willow 
in  a  graveyard. 

Among  the  Democrats  Fernando  Wood  appeared  to  be 
the  most  smiling  and  satisfied.  He  is  a  candidate  for  speaker 
of  the  next  house.  He  didn't  let  a  Democrat  pass  his  seat 
without  shaking  hands  with  him,  even  to  delegates  without 
votes.  He  has  already  issued  his  cards  of  invitation  to  the 
Democrats  of  each  branch  of  congress  to  a  grand  reception 
at  his  residence  on  Thursday  evening  next.  His  invitation 
card  is  headed  in  gilt  letters,  '^ Justice  is  slow  but  sure,"  refer- 
ring, of  course,  to  the  overwhelming  Democratic  victories  in 
the  states.  But  the  man  whose  face  shines  all  over  like  a  full 
moon  in  harvest  time  is  Sam  Randall,  member  from  Phila- 
delphia, chairman  of  the  national  Democratic  committee.  He 
can't  look  at  a  man  without  laughing.  He  also  has  his  eye 
on  the  speaker's  chair,  and  is  a  strong  candidate. 

Old  Alexander  Stephens  hobbled  into  his  seat  on  crutches', 
weighing  eight  pounds  more  than  he  did  before  the  elections. 
He  went  home  last  spring  weighing  but  seventy-five  pounds, 
and  had  concluded  to  die ;  but  he  has  changed  his  mind  now, 
and  won't  do  it.  Little  Sunset  Cox  of  New  York  felt  so  good 
that  he  wiggled  like  a  worm  on  a  fish  hook,  wanting  some- 
thing to  bite  him  and  get  caught. 

At  my  right  elbow  sits  Sener  of  Virginia,  a  Republican 
who  was  defeated,  and  who  was  knocked  from  the  platform 
while  making  a  speech  in  the  late  campaign  and  had  his  arm 
broken.  He  was  the  recipient  of  so  many  words  of  sympa- 
thy from  his  fellow  members  to-day  that  he  at  last  got  tired 
of  it,  and  about  the  time  he  had  got  completely  wearied  out 
along  came  Parsons,  Republican,  who  was  so  badly  defeated 


334  SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

In  the  Cleveland  (Ohio)  district,  and  said,  "Hello,  Sener,  the 
cursed  Democrats  broke  yonr  arm,  didn't  they?"  ""Yes," 
said  Sener,  "'but  they  broke  your  back  a  devilish  sight  worse." 
At  my  left  elbow  is  the  Mormon  delegate,  Cannon,  who  was 
recently  indicted  in  the  Utah  courts  for  having  four  wives. 
He  was  also  an  object  of  much  attention  and  compassion  from 
his  fellow  members,  and  I  obser\^ed  that  the  sympathy  came 
principally  from  married  men,  who  seemed  to  have  trouble 
in  taking  care  of  one  wife. 

I  stepped  over  to  the  senate  to  see  the  man  they  call  the 
"next  president  of  the  United  States,"  Senator  Thurman  of 
Ohio.  He  was  listening  attentively  to  the  reading  of  the 
president's  message,  and  I  observed  that  he  wore  an  approv- 
ing smile  when  the  president  advocated  "hard  money," 
"specie  pa3^ment,"  "reduction  of  expenses"  and  an  "increase 
of  the  tax  on  whisky;"  but  his  face  looked  like  a  brass  can- 
non when  the  message  spoke  of  "Southern  outrages,"  and 
"negro  equality."  Conkling,  Carpenter,  Logan  and  other 
Republican  senators  seemed  demoralized,  and  gave  but  little 
attention  to  the  message  of  the  president;  but  when  it  was 
done  they  grunted  out,  "Good  enough!"  And  so  closed  the 
first  day  of  congress. 

I  cannot  end  this  letter  without  returning  my  thanks  to 
my  Democratic  friends  in  Dakota  for  the  very  handsome  vote 
they  gave  me  at  the  late  October  election,  after  I  had  twice 
publicly  declined  a  nomination  and  was  absent  from  the  ter- 
ritory during  the  campaign  and  election.  As  I  said  in  my 
first  letter  of  withdrawal,  I  did  not  feel  financially  able  to 
prosecute  a  third  campaign.  1  am  gratified  to  know  that 
the  Democrats  remained  together,  and  cast  a  larger  vote  than 
two  years  ago.  In  the  early  part  of  the  campaign  the  party 
had  so  much  trouble  in  getting  its  kicking  team  harnessed  up 
that  by  the  time  they  had  "swapped  horses,"  and  got  fairly 
started  the  Republican  nags  had  already  gained  the  "first 
heat." 


sketci-ies  of  congress  and  western  empire.       ,^3  5 

House  of  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C,  Dec.  15,  1874. 

Congress  has  closed  its  first  week  of  labors,  and  nothing 
of  particular  note  has  been  transacted. in  either  house.  One 
bill  of  importance  to  the  settlers  in  some  portions  of  Dakota 
has  passed  both  houses,  which  allows  homestead  and  pre- 
emption settlers  on  the  public  lands  who  have  suffered  dur- 
ing the  past  year,  or  shall  during  the  next  spring,  from  the 
visitations  of  grasshoppers,  to  leave  their  claims  and  seek  em- 
ployment elsewhere  until  July  i,  1875,  and  July  i,  1876,  re- 
spectively, without  forfeiting  their  rights  to  return  to  their 
lands  and  perfect  their  titles.  The  clause  providing  for  next 
year's  grasshoppers  created  some  amusement  in  the  senate. 
Senator  Thurman  of  Ohio  said  it  looked  like  inviting  the 
grasshoppers  to  come  again  next  season,  and  thought  they 
would  be  sure  to  accept  the  invitation  of  congress,  and  come 
like  an  army  of  officeseekers.  Senator  Flannagan  said  the 
country  could  not  stand  two  plagues  at  once,  viz.,  the  grass- 
hoppers and  the  Democrats.  The  latter,  he  said,  had  already 
overrun  the  whole  country  in  November,  and  he  thought  con- 
gress had  better  begin  to  "back-fire"  against  grasshoppers 
before  spring. 

A  sharp  discussion  occurred  in  the  house  last  week  over 
the  much  vexed  question  of  currency  and  the  general  de- 
pression of  business.  Butler  boldly  charged  that  the  Repub- 
lican party  had  brought  hard  times  upon  the  country,  and 
had  encompassed  its  pwn  defeat,  and  said  that  the  party  had 
but  ninety  days  left  in  which  to  regather  its  lost  forces ;  that 
a  "party  in  power  once  is  in  power  for  a  generation."  Kelly, 
the  great  tariff  leader,  struck  some  heavy  blows  at  Grant  for 
his  equivocal  message,  and  intimated  that  the  president  was 
playing  into  the  hands  of  the  Wall  street  bondholders  and 
money  loaners,  as  against  the  laboring  and  producing  classes. 
Dawes  and  Garfield  favored  hard  money  and  specie  payment, 
and  a  consequent  increased  taxation. 


33^  SKETCHES    OF   CONGRESS    AND    WESTERN    EMPIRE. 

The  Democrats,  strange  to  say,  took  no  part  in  the  dis- 
cussion; but  a  day  or  two  afterwards  Mr.  Randall  of  Penn- 
sylvania made  a  direct  and  serious  charge  upon  the  president 
for  making  a  palpable  mistake  in  his  message  as  to  the  debts 
of  the  District  of  Columbia,  which  the  president  adroitly 
stated  to  be  several  million  dollars  less  than  the  figures  show. 
The  debt  of  the  district  turns  out  to  be  over  $20,000,000, 
whereas  the  president  stated  it  was  about  $13,000,000.  Con- 
gress is  asked  to  assume  the  principal  part  of  the  debt. 

Both  parties  in  congress  are  "fighting  shy"  of  each  other, 
like  men  sparring  in  a  prize  ring.  Neither  one  wants  to  re- 
ceive the  first  blow  nor  yield  the  first  blood.  It  is  considered 
that  the  result  of  the  next  eighty  days  in  congress  will  deter- 
mine which  party  is  to  have  control  of  the  government  after 
March  4,  1877.  Therefore  the  Democrats  are  endeavoring 
not  to  make  mistakes  for  the  future,  and  the  Republicans 
are  trying  to  undo  mistakes  of  the  past.  A  resolution  passed 
the  house  to-day  providing  for  a  recess  of  twelve  days  during 
the  holidays.  If  this  passes  the  senate  it  will  leave  only  about 
fifty  working  days  of  the  session  remaining. 

Bills  are  already  in  for  the  payment  of  the  $33,980.32  due 
the  Dakota  militia  of  1862,  as  audited  by  General  Hardie; 
also,  a  bill  for  the  extinguishment  of  the  Indian  title  to  the 
Black  Hills,  a  bill  to  incorporate  the  Dakota  &  Montana 
Railroad  Company,  and  a  bill  to  construct  a  penitentiary  in 
Dakota,  as  has  been  done  in  the  other  territories,  at  a  cost 
of  $40,000  out  of  the  gross  receipts  of  the  revenue  collected 
therein,  which  amounted,  October  1st,  to  $66,107.82. 

The  bill  for  the  division  of  Dakota,  which  was  defeated 
in  the  senate  last  session,  will  be  brought  up  again  this  winter. 

During  the  past  week  a  "live  king"  has  visited  Washing- 
ton, who  comes  from  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and  whose  name 
is  Ka-la-ka-u-a.  He  was  escorted  through  the  city  by*  its 
gayly  dressed  marine  corps,  headed  by  the  marine  band  and 
waving  banners.  He  looked  Hke  any  ordinary  man,  and  eats, 
sleeps  and  drinks  like  other  folks. 


SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  33? 

Fernando  Wood's  grand  party  last  week  was  very  largely 
attended  by  the  Democrats  of  both  senate  and  house.  Many 
were  in  full  dress,  with  white  gloves,  vest,  and  necktie  and 
steel-pen  coats.  Others,  especially  senators,  wore  their  or- 
dinary business  suits,  with  hands  ungloved  and  boots  un- 
blacked.  But  they  all  seemed  to  feel  ''red  hot"  and  running 
over  with  good  feelings.  When  the  lunch  tables  were  uncov- 
ered the  newspaper  reporters  were  first  to  rush  to  the  field 
of  battle,  and  the  jostling  and  elbowing  was  amusing,  as  there 
were  no  seats  at  the  tables.  I  saw  a  New  York  Herald  man 
spill  a  plate  of  oysters  raw  into  his  bosom,  and  they  went 
down  into  that  part  of  his  pants  which  he  sits  on.  A  Chi- 
cago Times  reporter,  in  the  act  of  handing  a  glass  of  rum 
over  the  head  of  the  crowd,  spilt  it  on  the  top  of  Sam  Cox's 
bald  cranium,  and  his  head  was  so  hot  with  Democracy  that 
a  column  of  steam  arose  to  the  ceiling.  They  all  dispersed 
at  ten  o'clock  p.  m.,  sober  but  happy. 


House  oe  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C,  Dec.  22,  1874. 

Congress  has  about  concluded  to  take  its  accustomed 
holiday  recess,  and  is  preparing  to  adjourn  from  to-morrow 
until  the  5th  of  January.  The  resolution  has  already  passed 
the  house.  Mr.  Dawes  stated  that  during  his  long  service 
here  of  many  years  he  has  never  known  an  instance  when  a 
quorum  of  both  houses  could  be  kept  together  for  business 
during  the  holidays.  Hence  the  advisability  of  a  recess 
Not  much  has  been  done  during  the  past  week,  except  upon 
the  general  appropriation  bills.  Much  sharp  and  amusing 
debate  springs  up  on  the  various  items  in  these  bills,  each  one 
of  which  appropriates  millions  of  dollars  and  therefore  affords 
a  large  field  for  discussion. 

The  Democrats  seem  determined  to  put  the  knife  into 
every  item  of  money  which  to  them  seems  unnecessary,  and 


33^  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

the  cutting  and  peeling"  process  is  in  many  instances  painful^ 
to  the  Repubhcans,  who  have  been  in  tlie  habit  of  grafting 
on  to  these  large  bills  numerous  sprigs  and    sprouts   which 
would  annually  bud  and  blossom  into  money  in  their  respect- 
ive districts. 

Garfield,  chairman  of  the  appropriation  committee,  got 
rather  provoked  last  week  at  the  continued  assault  of  the 
Democrats,  and  he  accused  them  of  "kicking  at  the  sky,  and 
shooting  at  the  stars  broadcast."  ''Their  fusees  roar,"  said 
he,  "and  the  skv  re-echoes,  but  no  birds  fall."  I\Ir.  Speer, 
Democrat,  retorted  that  "there  were  no  Republican  birds  up 
that  way,  as  they  all  fell  last  November,"  and  that  Mr.  Gar- 
field was  "not  the  man  to  lift  the  rod  of  correction  over  the 
Democratic  party — a  man  who  comes  out  of  the  fog  and  mist 
of  Credit  Mobilier  suspicion,  if  not  of  established  guilt." 
Scenes  like  this  are  becoming  quite  frequent,  and  the  speak- 
er's gavel  comes  in  play  so  often  in  bringing  members  to 
order  that  quite  a  chip  has  been  split  off  from  its  marble 
moderator. 

The  investigation  into  the  affairs  of  the  Pacific  Mail 
Steamship  Company  has  created  much  interest  in  congress 
the  past  week,  resulting  in  the  arrest  of  Richard  B.  Irwin, 
agent  of  the  company,  who  disbursed  three  quarters  of  a  n;iil- 
lion  of  dollars  to  secure  the  passage  of  a  magnificent  subsidy 
for  the  company  through  a  former  congress.  He  was  brought 
from  New  York  as  a  witness  to  testify  before  the  committee 
of  wa\s  and  means,  but  he  persistently  refused  to  give  the 
names  of  persons  to  whom  the  money  was  distributed.  He 
is  to  be  brought  before  the  bar  of  the  house  to  answer  why 
he  should  not  be  punished  for  contempt.  The  whole  affair 
will  probably  end  in  smoke,  and  the  countr)-  will  never  know 
where  the  money  went  to,  any  more  than  did  the  boy  who 
lost  a  penny  in  the  sea. 

The  social  events  of  the  past  few  days  have  been  the  re- 
ception given  to  the  king  of  the  Hawaiian  islands,  and  the 
centennial  tea  party  in  the  dome  of  the  capitol.      If  there  is 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  339 

any  one  thing  in  this  world  that  beats  all  others  it's  woman's 
curiosity.  They  seemed  perfectly  frantic  to  see  a  live  king, 
and  to  kiss  him — a  negro  at  that.  They  took  possession  of 
the  galleries  and  corridors,  and  even  charged  upon  the  floor 
of  the  house,  until  members  gave  up  their  seats  and  stood  in 
the  aisles.  The  house  of  representatives  looked  as  though  it 
had  been  turned  into  a  woman's  rights  convention,  with  hen- 
pecked husbands  standing  around.  Servant  girls,  laundresses 
and  chambermaids  seemed  to  predominate,  and  they  enjoyed 
the  afTair  as  they  would  a  circus  or  a  menagerie.  They 
clambered  upon  chairs  and  stood  upon  desks,  tipped  over 
inkstands,  waved  their  handkerchiefs,  pushed  through  the 
surging  crowds,  and  stood  as  much  squeezing  as  cider  apples. 
The  jam  at  the  president's  reception  to  the  king  was  not  so 
disgusting,  for  none  but  invited  guests  were  present ;  but 
nevertheless  there  was  hardly  standing-room.  Women  were 
suffocated,  and  had  the  trails  to  their  costly  dresses  ruined, 
while  gentlemen  were  constantly  swearing  about  their  toes 
being  trod  upon  by  the  crowd.  It  is  said  that  Horace  Gree- 
ley first  learned  to  swear  at  one  of  these  presidential  recep- 
tions. He  not  only  lost  his  white  hat  and  overcoat,  but  a 
military  officer  with  cavalry  boots  stepped  on  his  corns,  when 
old  Horace  swore  out  loud,  squeezed  out  a  side  door  and  left 
for  New  York  that  night.  The  next  day  he  came  out  in  the 
Tribune  denouncing  the  reception  as  a  "d n  mob," 

The  bill  for  the  relief  of  "grasshopper  sufferers'"  on  the 
public  lands  has  become  a  law.  The  bill  was  made  general  so 
as  not  to  advertise  any  particular  state  or  territory  as  more 
unfortunate  in  the  destruction  of  crops  than  another.  The 
bill  also  gives  preemptors  another  additional  year  for  making 
final  proof.  The  Pembina  territorial  bill  was  again  brought 
up  in  the  senate  yesterday,  and  recommitted  to  the  committee 
on  territories.  The  Dakota  war  claims  bill  will  be  acted  upon 
after  the  recess. 

Ex-Governor  Burbank  is  here  as  clerk  of  the  election  com- 
mittee in  the  senate.     Ex-Judge  French  is  also  in  "Washing- 


340  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

ton  this  week.  S.  V.  Clevenger.  formerly  of  the  Yankton 
Press,  has  been  here  several  days,  and  is  temporarily  engaged 
in  the  national  observatory,  looking  through  a  telescope  to 
see  if  he  can  find  what  he  made  in  the  newspaper  business. 
He  says  he  never  yet  saw  it  with  the  naked  eye.  Ex-Secre- 
tary Wilkins,  Ex-Secretary  Batchelder  and  John  Pope  Hod- 
nett  are  still  here. 

The  usual  state  and  territorial  delegations  are  expected 
to  put  in  their  appearance  here  in  full  force  after  the  holidays. 


House  of  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C,  Dec.  31,  1874. 

This  is  the  last  day  of  the  departing  year  1874.  As  I 
write  these  lines,  at  this  late  hour  of  night,  the  bells  of  the 
city  are  tolling  the  old  year  out  and  the  new  year  in.  Many 
have  gone  to  the  churches  to  "watch  and  pray"  for  the  "new 
departure."  Everybody  on  this  day  avows  their  determina- 
tion to  "swear  ofif"  from  their  old  sins,  and  to  turn  over  a 
new  leaf  with  the  opening  year.  Husbands  and  wives  stop 
quarreling  to-night,  and  kiss  their  children,  and  declare  that 
the  new  A^ear  shall  be  one  of  peace  and  happiness.  The  hus- 
bands agree  to  stop  drinking,  and  the  wives  promise  to  quit 
flirting.  The  single  men  declare  their  intention  to  marry 
before  another  year,  and  the  young  ladies  hope  to  the  Lord 
they  will.  In  this  city,  to-night,  a  young  couple  are  waiting 
in  one  of  the  churches  to  be  joined  in  holy  wedlock  the  mo- 
ment the  tone  of  the  great  bell  announces  the  departure  of 
the  Qld  year  and  the  advent  of  the  new  one. 

Out  in  the  streets  are  seen  many  men  who  are  as  royally 
drunk  as  kings,  and  who  won't  go  home  till  morning.  They 
are  "watching,"  too,  but  not  so  much  for  the  new  year  as  for 
a  new  drink.  They  seem  determined  to  give  the  old  year  a 
jovial  farewell,  and  to  be  ready  to  welcome  the  new  year  in 
"high  spirits."     The  shivering  and  hungry  poor  have  also 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  34' 

been  out  through  the  day  begging-  from  door  to  door  for  the 
necessar}'  bread  and  clothing  to  keep  within  them  the  warmth 
of  life  from  day  to  day.  The  rich  and  fortunate,  attired  in 
costly  costumes,  rolling  along  the  avenues  in  elegant  car- 
riages, have  all  dav  besieged  the  toy  stores,  making  pur- 
chases of  dazzling  New  Year's  presents  for  the  little  ones  at 
home  in  their  gorgeous  palaces,  where  "want  is  unknown." 

To-morrow  the  president  at  the  White  House,  the  cabi- 
net ministers  at  their  residences,  and  other  public  officials, 
will  keep  "open  house"  for  New  Year's  callers.  The  multi- 
tude at  the  president's  mansion  is  expected,  as  usual,  to  be 
simply  "immense."  Last  year  the  citizens  crowded  the  street 
for  the  distance  of  a  whole  square  awaiting  entrance  to  the 
house.  It  was  estimated  that  the  president  shook  hands  with 
five  thousand  people  last  New  Year's  day.  Everybody  goes 
to  these  public  receptions,  from  the  rich  banker  to  the  ragged 
beggar,  and  from  the  distinguished  wives  of  the  highest  offi- 
cials in  the  land  to  the  illicit  courtesan  of  the  hotels  and  fash- 
ionable boarding  houses.  But  this  is  a  Republic,  you  know, 
where  all  men  are  born  free  and  equal,  and  the  women  are 
"free  and  equal,  too." 

Although  congress  is  not  in  session  during,  the  holidays, 
many  of  the  congressional  committees  are  busily  at  work. 
The  subcommittee  of  congress,  recently  sent  to  New  York 
City  to  investigate  the  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  fraud,  has 
unearthed  some  astonishing  facts.  It  will  be  remembered 
that  this  company  secured  from  the  Forty-second  congress 
a  subsidy  of  five  million  dollars,  in  ten  yearly  payments  of 
one-half  million  each.  It  has  recently  come  to  light  that  the 
company  disbursed  three-quarters  of  a  million  of  dollars  to 
secure  the  passage  of  this  act.  Henre  congress  has  author- 
ized a  committee  to  investigate  the  matter,  and  ascertain,  if 
possible,  where  the  money  went  to,  and  to  what  members  of 
congress,  if  any.  The  committee  in  New  York  City  yester- 
day, in  examining  the  offices  of  certain  banks,  found  that 
$115,000  of  funds  was  drawn  by  a  Republican  member  of  the 


342  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

incoming  congress  for  Minnesota.  This  man  was,  at 
the  time  of  drawing  the  money,  postmaster  of  the  house  of 
representatives,  and  was  a  professional  lobbyist.  He  is  a  man 
who  looks  near  enough  like  Ex-Governor  Burbank  of  Da- 
kota to  be  his  brother.  It  is  believed  here  that  he  kept 
much  of  the  money  in  his  pocket,  and  never  paid  it  out  to 
members  of  congress,  for  the  testimony  shows  that  he  or- 
dered a  large  share  of  it  placed  to  his  own  credit  in  certain 
banks  at  his  home  in  Minnesota.  There  is  a  deceitful  and 
mercenary  class  of  lobbyists  and  newspaper  reporters  here 
who  always  claim  that  they  can  each  control  a  certain  num- 
ber of  votes  in  either  branch  of  congress.  Parties  having 
large  subsidy  bills  to  pass  go  to  these  lobb3dsts  to  reach, 
through  them,  certain  members  of  congress.  Large  sums 
are  put  into  their  hands  for  this  purpose.  Soon  after  this 
some  one  or  more  prominent  newspapers  in  each  congres- 
sional district  comes  out  strongly  advocating  the  pending 
bill,  as  a  measure  of  national  importance  and  common  justice. 
The  member  representing  the  district  does  not  want  to  dis- 
please the  papers  which  supported  him  in  his  election,  and 
he  votes  for  the  measure,  when  perhaps  $i.ooo  may  have  been 
all  that  was  used  by  the  lobbyists  in  securing  the  publication 
of  the  articles  in  his  district.  Some  members,  of  course,  may 
have  sold  their  votes  for  cash  in  hand.  In  this  way  millions 
of  the  people's  taxes  are  often  voted  away  for  a  comparatively 
worthless  object.  No  party  in  this  country  ever  became  so 
corrupt  and  extravagant  in  the  use  of  money  as  has  the  one 
now  in  power  since  1861.  Only  last  fall  it  was  revealed  that 
leading  administration  senators  had  been  taking  $2,000  and 
S3. 000  fees  for  defending  the  fraudulent  state  government 
in  Louisiana.  No  wonder  that  the  people  are  becoming 
alarmed,  and  are  rising  in  their  might  and  vengeance. 

Congress  re-convenes  again  next  Tuesday,  and  the  work 
of  the  session  will  then  be  pushed  to  completion  in  the  two 
months  remaining.  Dakota  matters  are  progressing  favor- 
ably.    No  memorials  have  as  yet  been  received  in  congress 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  343 

from  the  Dakota  legislature  now  in  session.    It  will  soon  be 
too  late  to  secure  action  upon  them. 


House  of  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C,  Jan.  5,  1875. 

The  holiday  recess  having-  expired,  congress  reassembled 
at  noon  to-day  with  a  full  attendance  in  both  houses.  The 
senate  was  engaged  nearly  all  the  day  in  a  very  exciting  and 
acrimonious  debate  over  a  resolution  introduced  by  Senator 
Thurman,  calling  on  the  president  of  the  United  States  for 
information  as  to  his  authority  for  stationins^  armed  United 
States  troops  in  and  around  the  Louisiana  state  house  yester- 
day during  the  meeting  of  the  legislature.  The  Republican 
senators  opposed  the  resolution,  because  it  was  not  made 
conditional  that  the  president  should  only  furnish  the  infor- 
mation in  case  it  was  ''compatible  with  the  public  interests." 
Some  very  sharp  shots  were  fired  from  both  sides,  in  which 
the  Democrats  rather  bore  ofif  the  colors.  The  cipplause  in 
the  galleries  was  so  frequent  that  the  presiding  oflficer  was 
obliged  to  suppress  such  manifestat'ons.  Senator  Bogy  of 
St.  Louis  excitedly  declared  that  the  president  and  his  party 
were  afraid  to  let  the  people  of  the  country  know  the  truth 
of  this  executive  tyranny.  He  proclaimed  that  there  is  no 
liberty  in  a  country  unless  the  people  have  spirit  enough  to 
resist  tyranny  and  oppression  with  their  lives  and  their  for- 
tunes ;  that  there  were  white  men  in  the  South  who  had  rights 
as  well  as  negroes ;  that  there  were  Democrats  in  Louisiana 
who  were  as  much  entitled  to  the  privileges  of  citizens  as  were 
Republicans. 

In  the  house  the  day  was  wasted  in  filibustering  over  the 
civil  rights  bill.  The  ayes  and  noes  were  called  on  several 
motions  to  adjourn,  the  calling  of  the  roll  on  each  of  which 
consumes  twenty  minutes.  Ben  Butler  seems  to  champion 
this  measure,  and  it  was  upon  his  motion  to-day  that  the 


S44  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

house  made  the  several  unsuccessful  attempts  to  reach  the  bill 
on  the  speaker's  table.  The  house  finally  adioumed  without 
coming  to  a  direct  vote  on  the  measure. 

The  "Christmas  currency  bill,"  which  came  over  from  the 
senate  just  before  the  holiday  recess,  does  not  seem  to  give 
satisfaction  to  the  house,  and  nearly  every  member  has  turned 
financial  doctor,  and  is  preparing  some  medicine  to  swallow 
with  this  sugar-coated  pill  of  the  senate. 

The  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  investigation  has  struck  a 
Democrat  between  the  eyes  this  week,  in  the  person  of  Mr. 
Shuniaker,  a  member  of  the  present  congress  from  New 
York,  who  is  pretty  clearly  proven  to  have  been  the  man  who 
drew  the  $275,000  lobby  fund  from  the  same  bank  and  at  the 
same  time  that  King  drew  the  $1 15,000  for  the  same  purpose. 
He  was  in  his  seat  in  the  house  to-day,  and  although  he  wore 
a  forced  smile  in  conversation,  he  was  evidently  much  de- 
pressed. In  appearance  he  very  much  resembles  Mr.  John 
Treadway  of  Yankton,  and  is  by  profession  a  lawyer.  Ex- 
Senator  Cole  of  California,  who  was  at  the  time  chairman  of 
the  appropriations  committee  in  the  senate  which  reported 
the  subsidy  bill  favorably,  is  also  implicated  in  the  matter.  It 
is  thought  that  further  investigation  will  strike  other  promi- 
nent men  in  sore  spots. 

Several  bills  of  interest  to  Dakota  were  reported  favorably 
to-day,  among  which  was  a  bill  appropriating  S30.000  to  fur- 
nish seeds  from  the  agricultural  department,  for  spring  crops, 
to  the  grasshopper  sufiferers  in  the  Western  States  and  ter- 
ritories. This  bill  will  come  up  for  passage  this  month,  and 
will  be  opposed  by  Kasson  of  Iowa  and  Cobb  of  Kansas  on 
the  ground  that  their  constituents  have  written  them  that 
they  don't  want  to  be  advertised  as  beggars  upon  national 
charity.  Bills  were  also  reported  favorably  to-day  for  the 
right-of-way  to  the  Dakota  Central  Railroad ;  also,  for  a  rail- 
road from  Sibley,  Iowa,  to  Yankton.  Dakota,  through  the 
counties  of  Lincoln,  Turner.  Clay  and  Yankton.  Senator 
Hitchcock's  bill,   appropriating  $100,000  to  purchase   food 


SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  345 

and  clothing  for  the  grasshopper  sufferers  in  tlic  Western 
States  and  Territories,  is  still  pending  in  the  senate.  The 
Dakota  war  claim  bill  has  been  examined  and  approved  by 
the  honse  appropriation  committee.  The  Indian  title  to  the 
Black  Hills  will  be  hotly  contested  on  both  sides  in  congress. 
A  daily  mail  has  been  ordered  from  Gayville  and  Elk  Point, 
on  the  Dakota  Southern  Railroad,  to  St.  Helena  and  Ponca 
respectively,  in  Nebraska;  also,  a  tri-weekly  mail  from  Bis- 
marck to  Fort  Rice. 

If  a  man  intends  to  run  for  office  he  ought  to  be  guilty 
of  one  glaring  sin,  for  if  not  his  enemies  will  load  their  guns 
with  the  whole  vocabulary  of  imaginary  vices  and  will  fire 
at  him  broadcast,  besmearing  him  with  the  garbage  and  filth 
of  suspicion. 

I  have  washed  myself  off  to-day  and  I  feel  better,  but  I 
got  awful  muady  in  those  few  days  before  election. 


House  oe  Representatives, 
.  Washington,  D.  C,  Jan.  12,  1875. 
Congress  has  been  red-hot  over  the  Louisiana  troubles 
for  the  past  week,  but  the  weather  has  been  unusually  cold 
for  this  climate.  There  has  been  nearly  as  much  excitement 
and  feeling  manifested  here  as  during  the  late  war  times. 
The  galleries  and  corridors  of  the  capitol  building  have  been 
thronged  each  day  with  the  curious  multitudes,  eager  to  lis- 
ten to  the  great  speeches  of  prominent  senators.  The  ser- 
geant-at-arms  being  unable  to  preserve  order  in  the  galleries, 
Senator  Tipton  created  a  laugh  by  suggesting  that  the  United 
States  army  be  called  upon  to  "put  'em  out."  The  cabinet 
have  been  in  session  nearly  every  day,  and  it  is  currently 
reported  that  three  of  the  cabinet  officers  do  not  approve  of 
the  president's  action  in  the  premises.  Sheridan's  "Assassina- 
tion-in-the-air"  telegrams  from  New  Orleans  are  believed  to 
have  been  prepared  in  Washington.    Senator  Schurz  yester- 


346  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

day  made  the  great  speech  of  the  occasion.  He  predicted  the 
decline  of  American  liberty,  and  our  republican  form  of  gov- 
ernment, and  the  establishment  instead  thereof  of  military 
rule  and  monarchical  authority.  It  seems  that  the  origin  of 
the  whole  difficulty  arises  from  the  fact  that  the  returning 
board  of  Louisiana  awarded  credentials  to  fifty-two  Repub- 
licans and  fifty  Conservative  members  of  the  legislature,  when, 
in  fact,  five  of  the  Republicans  were  fairly  defeated  at  the 
polls  by  their  Conservative  opponents.  The  five  Conserva- 
tive contestants  for  seats  were  the  ones  that  were  ejected 
from  the  legislative  hall  by  the  military  force.  Senator  Schurz 
puts  the  case  as  follows : 

I  repeat  it,  sir,  all  these  things  have  alarmed  me,  and  it  seems  not 
me  alone.  In  all  parts  of  the  country  the  press  is  giving  voice  to  the 
.'-ame  feeling,  and  what  I  learn  by  private  information  convinces  me  that 
the  press  is  by  no  means  exaggerating  the  alarm  of  the  people.  On  all 
sides  you  can  hear  the  question  asked,  "If  this  can  be  done  in  Louisiana, 
and  if  such  things  be  sustained  by  congress,  hovkr  long  will  it  be  before 
it  can  be  done  in  Massachusetts  and  Ohio?  How  long  before  the  coii- 
stitutional  rights  of  all  the  states  and  the  self-government  of  all  the  peo- 
ple may  be  trampled  under  foot?  How  long  before  a  general  of  the  army 
may  sit  in  the  chair  you  occupy,  sir,  to  decide  contested  election  cases 
for  the  purpose  of  manufacturing  a  majority  in*  the  senate?  How  long 
before  a  soldier  may  stalk  into  the  national  house  of  representatives,  and. 
pointing  to  the  speaker's  mace,  say,  "Take  away  that  bauble?" 

In  listening  to  this  Louisiana  discussion  the  past  week, 
it  brought  vividly  to  my  mind  our  early  "legislative  wars" 
in  Dakota.  I  remember  the  time  when  twenty  armed  United 
States  soldiers  were  stationed  by  the  governor  in  the  house 
of  representatives  at  Yankton  to  prevent  the  members  from 
removing  their  own  presiding  oflRcer,  and  T  remember  well 
how  provokingly  close  to  my  "leQislative  seat"  were  the  bay- 
onets of  the  soldiers  as  they  drew  up  in  file  behind  our  chairs. 
I  also  recollect  that  on  the  next  day  I  saw  the  speaker  of  the 
house  running  down  Third  street  with  a  revolver  in  his  hand, 
closely  pursued  by  other  law-makers  with  deadlv  weapons. 
At  another  time,  nearlv  half  of  the  members  of  the  lower 


SKETCHES  OE  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  347 

house  of  the  Dakota  legislature  seceded  and  organized  a  new 
house  in  Bramble's  store,  on  the  Levee,  the  s^-overnor  recoc^- 
nizing"  one  body  and  the  secretary  the  other.  It  was  seven- 
teen days  before  they  came  together.  The  division  all  grew 
out  of  contested  seats.  I  don't  think  Louisiana  can  teach 
Dakota  anything  about  running-  legislatures. 

The  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  investigation  continues  the 
all-absorbing  topic  in  the  house.  It  turns  out  a  good  deal 
as  I  predicted  in  my  last  letter,  that  the  bribery  money  used 
would  be  traced  into  the  hands  of  mercenarv  newspaper  men 
and  hang-dog  lobbyists.  The  evidence  yesterday  reveals  the 
fact  that  a  representative  of  the  Philadelphia  Press  and  Bos- 
ton Glohe  received  $25,000;  a  correspondent  of  the  Boston 
Transcript  got  away  with  $15,000  of  the  "swag"  ;  a  Washing- 
ton Chronicle  man,  $1,400;  editor  of  the  Washington  Capital, 
$5,000;  a  one-armed  doorkeeper  of  the  house  got  $tt,ooo; 
an  assistant  doorkeeper,  $5,000;  and  the  list  of  attorneys, 
bankers,  lobbyists,  and  jobbers  who  received  large  amounts 
is  as  yet  but  partially  developed.  No  members  of  the  Forty- 
second  congress  who  voted  for  the  $5,000,000  subsidy  have 
yet  been  detected  as  having  received  any  of  the  bribe  money, 
but  further  investigation  may  trace  the  money  home  to  some 
of  them.  Shumaker,  the  $275,000  man,  King,  the  $115,000 
chap,  were  not  members  of  that  congress,  but  they  are  both 
members  of  the  next  congress,  and  were  doubtless  elected  by 
using  freely  of  the  money  which  they  received  as  above. 

A  general  right-of-way  bill  for  railroads  in  the  territories 
has  passed  both  houses  with  slight  amendments,  and  will 
doubtless  become  a  law.  The  memorials  of  the  Dakota  leg- 
islature begin  to  come  on,  and  were  presented  to  congress 
this  week.  Memorials  do  not  generally  have  much  effect  in 
congress,  as  it  is  well  understood  here  that  territorial  legis- 
latures will  ask  for  all  they  can  get,  and  still  "ever  pray." 
But  if  we  don't  ask  we  will  never  receive,  and  oftentimes  we 
don't  receive  if  we  do  ask. 


348       sketches  of  congress  and  western  empire. 

*  House  of  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C,  Jan.  19,  i8;75. 

The  excitement  and  political  war  of  words  over  the  Lou- 
isiana collision  is  dying  out  in  congress.  The  president's  spe- 
cial messag'e  to  the  senate,  giving  his  explanation  of  the 
trouble,  was  submitted  last  week,  and  a  few  days  afterwards 
there  was  laid  before  the  house  the  report  of  the  subcom- 
mittee, consisting  of  two  Republicans  and  one  Democratic 
congressman,  who  had  been  sent  to  the  scene  of  the  difficulty 
to  ascertain  and  report  the  true  state  of  afifairs.  There  is  a 
direct  issue  of  facts  raised  between  the  president's  message 
and  the  report  of  the  committee.  The  president  recites  many 
instances  of  murder  and  violence  by  the  White  Leaguers  in 
Louisiana  as  a  just  cause  for  his  military  interference  to  pre- 
serve peace,  while  the  congressional  committee  report  that 
they  found  no  evidence  to  support  the  extravagant  charges 
of  murder  and  violence  so  fiercely  and  constantly  made 
against  the  white  Conservatives  of  the  South,  and  that  not  a 
negro  appeared  before  the  committee  to  testify  against  the 
treatment  which  they  had  received  at  the  hands  of  the  South- 
ern whites.  The  committee  also  reports  that  the  Republican 
returning  board  plainly  and  grossly  violated  the  law  in  re- 
fusing to  give  certificates  of  election  to  three  Conservative 
members-elect  to  the  lower  house  of  the  legislature,  the  issu- 
ing of  which  certificates  would  have  given  the  Conservatives 
a  clear  and  fairly  earned  majority  in  the  legislature.  It  ap- 
pears from  the  president's  special  message  that  he  now  re- 
grets the  interference  of  the  United  States  army  in  preventing 
the  legislature  from  pursuing  its  legitimate  way  to  dispose 
of  those  contested  cases.  It  is  generally  admitted  here  that 
the  president's  views  in  the  premises  are  calm  and  dispas- 
sionate, and  that  he  only  desires  to  execute  the  laws  of  his 
country  as  enacted  by  congress. 

The  Pacific  Mail  investigation  in  the  house  progresses 
slowly.  Schumaker  and  King,  each  of  whom  got  away  Avith 
such  a  large  swag  of  the  lobby  fund,  have  not  yet  fully  testi- 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  349 

fied  before  the  committee.  Irwin,  the  stubborn  wtiness,  and 
the  great  disbursing  agent  of  the  three-quarters  million  lobby 
fund,  is  in  jail  for  contempt  of  the  house,  for  not  answering 
and  giving  names  of  persons  to  whom  he  paid  the  money. 
He  is  a  man  of  slender  frame,  middle  age,  a  small  round  eye, 
and  red  whiskers.  He  is  now  trying  to  break  up  the  Pacific 
Mail  Company,  on  account  of  some  trouble  that  has  arisen 
between  himself  and  the  corporations,  touching  certain  dis- 
bursements of  the  company's  funds  at  the  time  Irwin  was 
agent.  He  is  broken  down  in  health,  and  during  his  exam- 
ination in  the  house  he  was  obliged  to  lean  upon  the  back 
of  a  chair,  and  finally  took  a  seat,  wiping  the  perspiration 
from  his  forehead.  He  refused  to  give  the  names  of  persons 
to  whom  he  paid  money,  but  when  the  speaker  asked  him 
what  was  the  largest  sum  he  paid  to  any  one  person,  he  raised 
his  head  and  smiled,  and  in  a  clear  voice  answered "$275,000." 
Some  one  said  he  struck  Schumaker  a  "dead  shot,"  and  there 
was  a  perceptible  laugh  all  over  the  house.  The  members 
then  quarreled  two  hours  over  the  question  as  to  what  they 
should  do  with  the  witness  for  refusing  to  give  names,  and 
it  was  soon  evident  that  the  house  was  in  the  predicament  of 
Mrs.  Toodles  who  bought  an  elephant,  and  had  no  place  to 
put  him.  Some  wanted  to  put  him  in  jail,  and  others  want- 
ed the  sergeant-at-arms  to  keep  him  in  the  custody  of  the 
house.  Others  wanted  to  chain  him  up  to  the  speaker's 
desk,  while  others  kept  walking  around  him  looking  at  his 
pockets.  Old  members  looked  sideways  at  each  other  in  the 
eye,  as  much  as  to  say,  "Did  you  get  any  of  that  money?" 
The  newspaper  men  in  the|  gallery  looked  like  a  flock  of 
frightened  goslings  when  a  farmer's  club  lands  among  them. 
Butler  says  this  is  a  bad  year  for  ministers  and  newspapers. 

All  through  this  winter  weather  the  work  of  improving 
the  capitol  grounds  is  being  carried  on,  and  great  trees  are 
every  day  seen  moving  bodily  up  Capitol  Hill  and  trans- 
planted in  the  new  eastern  park,  full  one-fourth  of  a  mile  from 
where  they  are  taken  up.     Two  hundred  thousand  dollars 


350  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

were  appropriated  last  session  to  carry  out  the  necessary  im- 
provements. A  whole  park  of  many  acres,  covered  with  large 
trees,  which  for  generations  has  sloped  toward  the  capitol 
building,  has  been  cut  away,  the  surface  removed,  and  the 
new  grounds  now  slope  from  the  capitol,  giving  it  the  appear- 
ance of  a  side  hill  instead  of  a  valley.  A  large  swamp  just 
south  of  the  capitol  building  has  been  filled  up  forty  feet  in 
height,  reaching  in  many  instances  to  the  tops  of  the  build- 
ings, which  are  in  such  cases  bought  and  removed  by  the 
government. 

The  senate  in  caucus  has  decided  to  admit  Colorado  and 
New  Mexico  into  the  Union  as  new  states,  which  will  make 
two  territories  less,  and  ought  to  help  the  chances  for  the 
new  territory  of  Pembina.  A  new  Indian  agency  has  been 
established  in  the  Black  Hills,  and  one  also  at  the  mouth  of 
White  river,  by  the  Indian  appropriation  bill  which  passed 
the  house  this  week.  The  senate  will  doubtless  concur  in  the 
matter. 

The  secretary  of  war  also  recommends  the  establishment 
of  a  military  post  in  the  Black  Hills.  Congress  has  vet  done 
nothing  to  relieve  the  grasshopper  sufferers  of  the  West,  and 
there  appears  to  be  quite  a  sentiment  among  members  against 
setting  such  a  precedent. 


House  of  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C,  Feb.  i6.  1875. 
Congress  is  getting  more  settled  down  to  work  since  the 
adoption  of  the  new  rule  to  prevent  fihbustering.  The  mod- 
ified tariff  bill  has  passed  the  house,  increasing  the  tax  on 
distilled  spirits,  tobacco,  sugar  and  molasses  at  such  a  rate 
as  is  estimated  will  add  $42,000,000  to  the  revenues  of  the 
country  during  the  next  ensuing  year.  On  account  of  the 
general  depression  of  business  everywhere  the  income  to  the 
government  has  been  falling  off  alarmingly  within  the  past 
year,  and  more  taxes  are  demanded. 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  35' 

The  Louisiana  difficulties  and  the  generally  mixed  condi- 
tion of  Southern  affairs  are  matters  still  unsettled,  and  there 
seems  to  be  no  indication  that  con^^ress  knows  whom  to  be- 
lieve or  what  to  do  with  the  perplexing-  question.  The  com- 
mittees sent  out  by  congress  to  investigate  the  troubles  with 
the  South  have  returned,  and  seem  to  think  that  the  best 
thing  to  be  done  is  to  let  the  Southern  people  manage  their 
own  local  troubles  as  other  states  do,  and  for  the  federal 
government  to  keep  its  nose  out  of  the  dish  and  attend  to 
its  ''own  knitting."  There  is  alw^ays  more  or  less  chafing  and 
political  discord  in  every  state  of  the  Union,  and  the  only 
way  to  settle  such  difTficulties  in  a  republican  government  like 
ours  is  to  let  the  majority  rule.  If  they  rule  unjustly,  time 
will  overthrow  them. 

The  civil  rights  bill  passed  the  house  last  week  in  an 
amended  form,  and  it  is  now  considered  doubtful  whether  the 
senate  will  agree  to  the  house  amendments,  inasmuch  as  the 
clause  compelling  mixed  schools  for  white  and  black  children 
was  stricken  out.  An  exciting  tilt  occurred  over  this  bill 
between  Ben  Butler  and  Brown  of  Kentucky,  and  it  is  gen- 
erally conceded  that  Butler,  for  the  first  time  in  his  life,  came 
out  the  under  dog.  The  assault  of  Brown  was  so  quick  and 
cutting  that  it  completely  disemboweled  old  Ben,  and  he 
looked  like  a  whipped  rooster  crouching  under  the  wing  of 
the  Republican  majority  and  asking  protection.  The  Re- 
publican majority  did  vote  a  resolution  of  censure  upon 
BroW'U  for  striking  his  spurs  so  deep  into  Butler's  crop,  after 
which  Ben  came  flopping  out  on  the  floor  like  a  crippled 
shanghai,  and,  brave  as  an  owl,  hooting  out,  "I  knew  I  would 
make  Brown  sorry  for  this." 

The  appropriation  bills  are  now  being  rapidly  disposed 
of,  and  it  is  believed  that  all  necessary  legislation  will  be 
closed  up  wdthin  the  remaining  eighteen  days  of  the  session. 
The  general  appropriation  bill  presented  to-day  contains  a 
section  appropriating  $33,980.30  to  liquidate  the  Dakota  war 
claims;    also,  $50,000  for  the  survey  of  the  public  lands  in 


352  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

the  territory.  A  bill  was  also  reported  favorably,  appropri- 
ating $40,000  for  the  erection  of  a  penitentiary  in  Dakota. 
The  grasshopper  bill  has  become  a  law.  and  I  herewith  send 
you  a  copy  for  publication.  Out  of  $150,000  appropriated 
in  this  bill  Dakota  will  receive  about  $25,000. 

The  proposed  Territory  of  Pembina  is  receiving  consid- 
erable attention,  especially  from  the  Republican  members 
who  were  defeated  last  fall,  and  now  want  to  secure  appoint- 
ments in  the  new  territory.  The  only  thing  that  will  pass  the 
bill  is  the  inducement  it  presents  as  a  new  field  for  office  and 
patronage.  Unless  the  bill  is  pushed  through  this  session, 
it  will  have  but  little  prospect  for  the  next  two  vears  at  least, 
for  the  Democrats,  having  possession  of  one  branch  of  con- 
gress, will  not  be  likely  to  create  offices  for  the  Republicans 
to  fill  under  Grant. 

G.  G.  Bennett  of  Washington  county.  Iowa,  has  been  ap- 
pointed to  fill  the  place  formerly  occupied  by  Judge  Kidder, 
as  associate  justice  of  Dakota.  He  is  from  Congfressman 
McCrary's  district,  and  is  reported  to  be  one  of  the  leading 
jurists  of  the  state,  and  an  upright  man. 

The  surprising  news  of  the  virtual  acquittal  of  Winter- 
m.ute,  McCook's  murderer,  in  Dakota,  is  the  subject  of  much 
remark  here,  and  if  the  charges  against  Judges  Barnes  and 
Kidder,  which  were  forwarded  here  by  the  indignation  meet- 
ing recently  held  at  Yankton,  are  eventually  proven  to  be 
true,  I  am  informed  upon  high  authority,  that  it  will  result  in 
the  removal  of  our  judges. 

Ex-Judge  French  of  Dakota  has  been  appointed  secretary 
of  Wyoming  Territory. 

An  extra  session  of  the  United  States  senate  is  expected 
to  convene  on  the  4th  of  March,  at  which  time  sixteen  new 
senators  will  take  their  seats. 

The  weather  continues  cold  here,  and  the  Potomac  is 
frozen  solid,  the  first  time  for  years. 


THREE    CONGRESSMEN    EOR    ONE    CITAIR.-p. 


369. 


sketches  of  congress  and  western  empire.        353 

House  of  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C,  March  q.  1875. 
The  final  adjournment  of  the  Forty-third  congress  took 
place  at  twelve  o'clock  noon  March  4th.  Most  of  the  pend- 
ing measures  of  an  important  nature  were  passed  and  ap- 
proved before  the  adjournment.  The  Southern  "h'orce  Bill," 
to  control  elections,  failed,  or  rather  was  not  brought  to  a 
vote  in  the  senate.  The  bounty  bill  also  failed  to  become  a 
law,  after  it  had  passed  both  houses  of  congress  a  few  hours 
before  adjournment.  The  president  declined  to  affix  his 
approval  thereto,  on  the  ground  that  it  would  have  taken 
over  $100,000,000  from  the  treasury.  The  civil  rights  bill, 
as  it  became  a  law,  is  not  considered  as  bestowing  upon  the 
colored  people  any  important  rights  or  privileges  which  they 
do  not  already  possess.  The  mixed  school  clause  was  strick- 
en from  the  bill. 

The  new  revenue  bill,  which  became  a  law  the  night  be- 
fore adjournment,  is  estimated  to  increase  the  income  of  the 
treasury  forty  millions  of  dollars  during  the  next  fiscal  year. 
This  increase  of  taxes  was  rendered  necessary  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  government,  since  the  national  revenues  have  been 
sadly  falling  ofif  during  the  past  year. 

The  bill  to  organize  the  territory  of  Pembina  could  not 
muster  strength  enough  to  raise  its  head  in  the  senate  this 
session,  and  the  matter  will  therefore  be  handed  over  to  the 
tender  mercies  of  the  next  congress.  In  my  own  opinion, 
there  is  but  little  hope  for  a  division  of  Dakota  for  the  next 
two  years,  inasmuch  as  the  two  branches  of  congfress  will  be 
in  possession  of  opposing  political  parties — the  senate  Re- 
publican and  the  house  Democratic.  Judges  Kidder,  Barnes, 
Governor  Pennington  and  others  were  here,  and  did  all  they 
could  to  induce  the  senate  to  act  upon  the  bill,  but  it  was  of 
no  avail. 

The  several  bills  looking  to  the  opening  of  the  Black  Hills 
to  white  settlement  also  failed  to  receive  the  favorable  action 
of  congress.     There  are  too  many  old  Puritan  senators  and 
23 


354  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

members  of  congress  here  from  the  Eastern  States  who  be- 
lieve than  an  Indian  is  better  than  a  white  man.  and  that  the 
United  States  has  no  right  to  break  its  treaties  with  the  red 
men. 

Several  Dakota  matters  were  acted  favorably  upon  during 
the  last  days  of  the  session,  among  which  may  be  mentioned 
two  items  in  the  general  appropriation  bill  of  v$50,ooo  for 
survey  of  public  lands,  and  $33,980.30  to  pay  the  Dakota 
volunteer  claims  of  1862.  The  surveys  were  cut  down  $10,- 
000  in  the  senate  but  restored  again  in  the  house.  The  war 
claims  appropriation  was  stricken  out  entirely  in  the  senate 
on  the  last  night  of  the  session,  and  was  not  restored  by  the 
two  houses  until  a  few  hours  before  the  final  adjournment. 
A  general  right-of-way  was  granted  to  railroads  in  the  ter- 
ritories. The  disapproval  of  the  "'Dakota  Exemption  Re- 
peal" passed  both  houses  of  congress  within  four  days  from 
the  time  the  bill  was  introduced.  Provisions  have  been  made 
in  the  new  postal  law  for  the  free  transmission  of  public  doc- 
uments and  seeds. 


House  of  Representatives, 
WashinGTOx,  D.  C,  March  i,  1875. 
During  the  past  week  the  house  of  representatives  has 
remained  in  continuous  session  for  two  days  and  nights,  fili- 
bustering over  the  civil  rights  bill.  The  Republicans  could 
not  muster  the  necessary  two-thirds  majority  to  bring  the 
measure  to  a  final  vote,  and  the  Democrats  had  iust  force 
enough  to  hold  them  in  dead-lock  by  continually  interposing 
dilatory  motions  and  calling  the  long  roll  of  ayes  and  nays 
at  every  step.  The  Republicans  finally  threw  up  the  sponge 
after  the  second  night,  and  the  house  adjourned.  On  the 
next  day  the  Democrats  raised  the  point  of  order,  and  the 
speaker  ruled  in  their  favor,  that  the  entire  ioumal  of  the  two 
days  and  nights  must  be  read  to  the  house  by  the  clerk,  which 
would  occupy  another  full  day. 


SKETCH  i:S  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTliRN  EMPIRE.  35  5 

After  listening-  to  a  few  hours  of  that  kind  of  dull  reading 
the  house  again  adjourned,  with  the  Republicans  declaring 
their  intention  of  renewing  the  fight  again  this  week  by 
amending  an  old  rule,  of  forty  years'  standing,  so  as  to  give 
the  majority  ultimate  control  of  the  house.  The  attempt  was 
accordingly  made  to-day  to  thus  amend  the  rules,  and  the 
proposition  failed  by  only  two  votes.  This  bitter  contest  is 
generally  looked  upon  as  a  foolish  waste  of  time,  and  the 
Democrats  repeatedly  proposed  to  compromise  by  proceed- 
ing to  general  legislation,  if  the  Republicans  would  drop  the 
civil  rights  bill.  But  the  Republicans  very  naturally  replied 
that  it  w^as  not  for  the  minority  to  dictate  what  should  or 
should  not  be  done. 

Mr.  Conkling  last  week  miide  the  great  speech  of  the  sea- 
son, on  the  administration  side  of  the  Louisiana  question. 
His  speech  was  different  from  any  other  made  on  the  Repub- 
lican side  of  the  chamber,  in  that  it  took  the  aggressive  in- 
stead of  the  defensive.  He  indorsed  the  president  and  Gen- 
eral Sheridan  in  every  act  and  word  of  theirs  touching  the 
Louisiana  troubles.  His  speech  is  generally  considered  here 
as  opening  the  next  presidential  campaign,  and  as  a  bid  for 
the  Republican  nomination  for  himself  as  Grant's  successor. 

The  Pacific  Mail  investigation  will  probably  end  in  the 
Pacific  Mail  Company's  entering  suit  against  Irwin,  King, 
Schumaker,  Whiting,  Albert  and  others,  to  compel  them  to 
refund  the  money  which  it  is  now  believed  these  parties  never 
disbursed,  but  kept  in  their  own  pockets,  as  members  of  a 
ring  or  pool  formed  to  defraud  the  company.  It  is  also 
thought  that  much  of  the  testimony  before  the  committee  of 
congress  has  been  untrue,  and  manufactured  for  the  purpose 
of  covering  up  these  fraudulent  transactions  vvith  the  com- 
pany. 

Another  lobby  scheme  of  about  three  million  dollars, 
known  as  the  "Choctaw  Indian  Claim,"  was  defeated  last 
week  in  the  house,  and  with  it  was  killed  the  entire  Indian 
appropriation  bill,  comprising  some  five  million  dollars,  for 


35^  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

the  support  of  the  Indian  tribes  during  the  next  fiscal  year. 
This  is  the  first  instance  for  many  years  in  which  one  of  the 
g'cneral  appropriation  bills  has  been  defeated  on  its  final  pas- 
sage; and  this  defeat  was  brought  about  by  having  this 
Choctaw  claim  engrafted  on  the  bill.  It  is  claimed  that 
$900,000  of  the  claim  was  promised  to  the  lobby  force  in 
case  of  its  passage.  Another  gigantic  scheme  is  also  before 
congress  for  extending  the  time  of  the  sewing  machine  pat- 
ents, in  which  there  is  several  million  dollars'  profit  to  the 
manufacturers.  It  is  claimed  there  is  now  about  forty-five 
dollars'  profit  on  every  Wheeler  &  Wilson  made,  on  account 
of  the  royalty  existing  on  the  patent  for  certain  attachments, 
and  that  the  same  machines  are  made  in  England,  brought 
here,  and  sold  lower  than  at  our  home  manufactories.  The' 
sewing  machine  companies  are  united  in  their  efforts  before 
congress,  and  can  command  large  sums  of  money  to  secure 
another  fourteen  years'  extension  of  the  patent;  for  they 
would  soon  make  their  money  back  out  of  the  people. 

A  bill  of  interest  to  Dakota  has  passed  congress  and  be- 
came a  law,  and  all  settlers  desiring  seeds  should  address 
their  letters  direct  to  the  commissioner  of  agriculture.  Wash- 
ington, D.  C. 

The  executive  order  of  the  president,  extending  the  ju- 
risdiction of  the  Sioux  reservation  in  Dakota,  is  not  in- 
tended, as  I  am  informed  by  the  secretary  of  the  interior,  to 
prevent  white  settlers  from  remaining  on  the  lands  in  ques- 
tion. It  is  simply  to  enforce  the  intercourse  law.  and  stop 
the  sale  of  whisky  to  the  Indians,  and  does  not  interfere  with 
vested  rights  to  lands.  The  Indian  agents  all  along  the  river 
have  appealed  to  the  departments,  stating  that  unless  the  sale 
of  whisky  to  their  Indians  is  prevented,  they  cannot  control 
them. 

The  Pembina  territorial  bill  is  expected  to  come  up  in 
the  senate  this  week.  The  amended  bill  locates  the  capitol  at 
Bismarck.  The  committee  on  Indian  affairs  have  agreed 
to  report  in  favor  of  negotiating  for  the  south  part  of  the 


SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE.  3  57 

Black  Hills  in  Dakota.  Messrs.  Woolworth  &  Dallas  are 
here  looking-  after  the  government  freight  next  season. 
Charles  of  Sioux  City  is  also  here  in  the  interest  of  the 
Koiintz  line  of  steamers.  Kx-Jiidg"e  French  of  Dakota  is  a 
candidate  for  the  chief  justiceship  of  Wyoming.  Milton  Wes- 
ton, formerly  of  the  Dakota  Southern  Railroad,  now  of  New 
York,  was  here  this  week.  O.  C.  Treadway  of  Sioux  City 
has  been  here  several  days  on  business,  and  Judge  Cle^horn 
of  Sioux  City  has  been  appointed  and  confirmed  as  register 
of  the  Del  Norte  land  ofSce  in  Colorado. 

A  bill  has  just  passed  the  house  of  representatives  this 
afternoon  appropriating  $150,000  to  supply  food,  clothing, 
etc.,  to  the  grasshopper  sufferers  in  the  Western  States  and 
Territories.  A  like  bill  has  been  reported  favorably  in  the 
senate,  and  will  doubtess  become  a  law  during  the  present 
week.  Dakota's  proportion  of  this  amount,  according  to  her 
population,  will  probably  be  about  v$20,ooo,  besides  the  sum 
of  $5,000  for  spring  seeds,  which  she  will  get  under  the  $30,- 
000  seed  law  heretofore  mentioned. 

Many  amusing  incidents  occurred  during  the  two  night 
sessions.  The  carpet  was  strewn  with  lunch  papers,  biscuit, 
cold  meats  and  apple  peelings.  Coffee  cups  and  saucers  were 
sitting  on  members'  tables,  while  under  many  of  the  desks  I 
observed  the  longest-necked  "ink  bottles"  that  I  ever  saw. 
They  called  it  "wet  stationery."  Every  sofa  was  occupied 
with  a  prostrate  and  snoring  congressman,  trying  to  sleep 
with  one  eye  open  so  as  to  be  ready  to  respond  to  the  call 
of  those  who  were  "on  guard."  if  they  should  need  his  noc- 
turnal vote.  The  galleries  were  occupied  through  most  of 
the  night  by  curious  negroes  and  truant  love-making  couples. 
In  the  ladies'  gallery  females  could  be  seen  lounging  like  sick 
cats  upon  the  shoulders  of  their  male  attendants.  The  poor 
things  appeared  to  be  sleepy,  but  considering  that  they  had 
a  soft  thing  of  it,  they  were  content  to  remain  in  the  arms  of 
Morpheus.  The  scenes  that  sometimes  occur  in  these  public 
galleries  are  a  disgrace  to  American  manners.     During  the 


T,S^  SKETCHES  OF  CONGRESS  AND  WESTERN  EMPIRE. 

sessions  of  congress  the  city  is  full  of  gilded  females,  who  flock 
here  like  summer  swallows,  and  swarm  the  corridors  and  gal- 
leries of  the  capitol,  beleaguering  the  lobby  doors,  showering 
their  ambrosial  cards,  like  snowflakes,  upon  the  senators  and 
members,  to  attract  attention.  Attired  in  gay  and  dashing 
colors,  with  rose-painted  cheeks,  crimson  lips  and  dark  pen- 
ciled eye-lashes,  they  drop  their  melting  Italian  eyes  upon  a 
gray-haired  senator  and  he  is  gone.  You  know  an  old  fool 
is  the  worst  fool  in  the  world,  and  hence  over  in  the  senate 
reception  room  is  where  these  female  frauds  most  do  congre- 
gate to  ply  their  blandishments,  and  here  we  vvill  leave  them 
to  cast  their  lines  in  the  swim. 

^^'ith  this  letter  I  close  my  four  years'  service  as  "con- 
gressman-at-large."  or  a  large  "fool  abroad."  My  thanks  are 
due  to  the  people  who  have  sent  me  here  two  terms  and  have 
offered  to  keep  me  here  a  third  term.  But  with  the  kind 
benedictions  of  a  grateful  people  I  now  retire  from  congress 
with  nothing  but  empty  honors  and  an  empty  pocket ;  but  I 
have  learned  enough  in  two  terms  to  last  me  a  hundred  years. 

I  will  return  to  the  Far  West  with  m}'  only  remaining 
stock  in  trade,  consisting  of  a  wagon  load  of  congressional 
documents,  four  bushels  of  garden  seeds,  my  enlarged  head, 
and  the  chronic  rheumatism.  \\"ith  these  worldly  blessings 
I  will  again  take  my  place  in  the  ranks  of  the  early  "Empire 
Builders  of  the  Great  West." 


SPEECHES   IN   CONGRESS 


BEHALF  OF  THE  WEST 


SPEECHES    IN    CONGRESS    ON   BEHALF   OF 
THE    WEST. 


on  railroad  land  grants. 

House  of  Representatives, 

February  17,  1872. 

Mr.  Speaker:  Iii  the  brief  remarks  T  have  to  make  upon 
the  pending  bill  ["to  confer  upon  the  Territory  of  Dakota 
the  benefit  of  her  internal  improvement  lands,  guaranteed 
under  an  act  of  congress,  approved  September  4,  1841,"]  it 
is  not  my  intention  to  detain  the  house  by  entering  into  a 
defense  of  any  of  the  past  enormous  land  grants  that  have 
been  given  by  congress  to  private  corporations  to  aid  in  the 
construction  of  railroads  through  the  Western  States  and 
Territories.  I  desire  simply  to  invite  the  attention  of  this 
house  to  the  present  wants  and  necessities  of  the  long  neg- 
lected and  deserving  Territory  of  Dakota,  within  whose  bor- 
ders there  is  not  to-day  a  mile  of  railroad  nor  an  acre  of  land 
granted  to  aid  in  building  one.  In  verification  of  this  fact, 
Mr.  Speaker,  I  send  to  the  clerk's  desk,  and  ask  to  have  read, 
a  letter  from  the  commissioner  of  the  general  land  office. 

The  clerk  read  as  follows : 

Department  of  the  Interior,  General  Land  Office, 
Washington,  D.  C,  February  7,  1872. 

Sir — In  reply  to  your  letter  of  28th  ultimo,  I  have  the  honor  to 
state  that  there  has  never  been  a  grant  of  lands  by  congress  to  aid  in 
the  construction  of  any  railroad  or  railroads  in  the  Territory  of  Dakota, 
south  of  the  forty-sixth  parallel,  (the  proposed  boundary  of  Pembina  Ter- 
ritory), or  any  lands  ever  withdrawn  in  the  Territory  for  railroad  pur- 
po'ses.     I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully, 

WiLiviAM   Drummond,  Commissioner. 
Hon.  M.  K.  Armstrong.  House  of  Representatives. 


362  SPEECHES    IN    CONGRESS. 

Mr.  Speaker,  it  may  seem  to  this  house  somewhat  re- 
markable that  among  all  the  munificent  grants  of  lands 
hitherto  distributed  by  congress  to  aid  in  the  construction  of 
railroads  in  the  \\^estern  States  and  Territories,  Dakota  now 
comes  before  this  house  as  an  excepted  and  neglected  child 
of  the  government.  This.  sir.  can  be  briefly  explained.  In 
i86t  the  great  Territory  of  Dakota  was  created  by  congress, 
embracing  within  its  limits  all  that  portion  of  the  wild  north- 
west extending  from  Minnesota  on  the  east  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains  oji  the  west,  and  from  Nebraska  on  the  south  to 
British  America  on  the  north,  embracing  in  area  more  than 
all  the  New  England  and  Eastern  States.  But  the  early  dis- 
covery of  gold  on  the  western  slope  of  the  mountains  in  Da- 
kota drew  thither  a  mining  population  ^vhich  soon  demanded, 
and  received,  from  congress,  in  1S63.  a  separate  organization 
under  the  name  of  Idaho  Territory',  now  so  well  represented 
by  my  friend  [Mr.  Merritt],  and  still  later,  in  1863.  this 
rapidly  accumulating  and  adventurous  population  pushed 
eastward  over  the  crest  of  the  mountains  and  opened  new 
mines,  which  created  the  necessity  of  another  distinct  terri- 
torial government,  and  in  1864  congress  again  carved  out  of 
Dakota's  vast  original  domain  the  Territory  of  Montana,  now 
represented  on  this  floor  by  the  eloquent  delegate,  [Mr.  Clag-- 
gett]. 

Again,  in  1867,  the  munificent  grants  of  lands  and  gov- 
ernment loan  to  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  had  pushed  that 
great  thoroughfare  so  rapidly  across  the  vast  plains  of  South- 
western Dakota,  that  this  territory  was  again  called  upon  to 
yield  from  her  western  possessions  a  new  dominion,  which 
was  created  by  congress  into  the  Territory  of  Wyoming, 
whose  interests  are  so  faithfully  guarded  in  this  House  by 
the  popular  delegate  [Mr.  Jones].  .\nd  now,  sir,  last  of  all, 
a  bill  is  pending  in  each  branch  of  the  present  congress  which 
has  been  favorably  reported  in  the  senate,  to  again  divide 
Dakota,  and  erect  all  that  portion  of  her  domain  north  of 
the  forty-sixth  parallel  into  the  ])rr)posed  new  Territory  of 
Pembina. 


Sl^EKCHES    IN    CONGRESS.  363 

This  bill  will  eventually  become  a  law,  and  thereafter  it  is 
not  probable  that  the  congressional  scissors  will  again  be 
applied  to  trim  the  borders  of  T^lakota.  inasmuch  as  the  area 
of  the  territory  remaining-  as  Dakota  proper  is  about  the 
same  as  that  of  either  of  the  adjacent  vStates  of  Towa  or  M'm- 
nesota. 

As  T  said  before,  Mr.  Speaker,  the  Territory  of  Dakota 
stands  alone  among  all  the  Nortlnvestern  States  and  Terri- 
tories, midway  between  th^  great  thoroughfares  of  the  na- 
tion, without  an  acre  of  land  or  a  dollar  in  money  granted 
by  congress  for  the  building  of  railroads  within  her  borders 
since  her  territorial  existence  of  eleven  years:  and  in  conse- 
quence thereof  she  has  not  to-day  a  mile  of  running  road 
within  her  borders.  While  w^e,  sir.  have  been  thus  neglected, 
or  rather  overlooked,  in  the  past  distribution  of  congressional 
aid,  the  adjoining  States  of  Towa  and  Minnesota  have  re- 
ceived from  congress  lands  with  almost  wasteful  h'beralitv.  to 
encourage  the  construction  of  railroads  running  westward 
throug-h  those  States,  but  terminating  abruptly  upon  the  very 
borders  of  Dakota.  In  addition  to  these  state  grants,  whole 
empires,  as  it  were,  have  been  bestowed  by  congress  with 
unstinted  hand  upon  giant  corporations,  to  push  three  great 
national  highways  across  the  continent  to  the  Pacific.  In 
these  magnificent  grants  all  the  sister  territories  of  the  United 
States  are  indirectly  the  recipients  of  congressional  aid,  ex- 
cept Dakota  alone.  The  line  of  the  Northern  Pacific  trav- 
verses  the  proposed  new  Territory  of  Pembina,  and  the  Ter- 
ritories of  Montana,  Idaho  and  Washington ;  while  the 
Union  Pacific  supplies  the  Territories  of  Wyoming  and  Utah, 
and  the  Southern  Pacific  seeks  its  way  to  the  western  ocean 
through  the  Territories  of  Arizona  and  New  Mexico, 

Notwithstanding  this  fact,  the  earliest  immigration  to  all 
that  vast  region  of  the  northwest  which  now  constitutes  the 
Territories  of  Dakota,  Pembina.  Idaho,  Montana  and  Wy- 
oming was  directed  to  and  settled  in  the  agricultural  district 
now  known  as  Dakota  proper.     Here,  in  the  valley  of  the 


364  SPEECHES    IN    CDNGRESS. 

Missouri  river,  immediately  west  of  Iowa,  the  lands  were 
purchased  of  the  Indians  twelve  years  ago,  and  within  two 
years  thereafter  they  were  surveyed  and  opened  to  settlement 
under  the  provisions  of  the  preemption  and  homestead  acts 
of  congress.  I  say.  sir.  notwithstanding  this  fact,  coupled 
with  a  mildness  of  climate  and  fertility  of  soil  resembling  that 
of  the  neighboring  states.  Iowa  and  Minnesota,  there  is  not 
to-day  over  twenty  thousand  people  in  that  territory;  and 
although  nearly  ten  million  acres  have  been  surveyed  by  the 
government,  not  over  one-tenth  of  that  amount  has  been 
located  by  actual  settlers.  Even  under  the  generous  provi- 
sions of  the  homestead  law,  ofifering  to  the  poor  man  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  for  eighteen  dollars,  not  five 
thousand  homestead  farms  have  been  made  in  the  territory 
since  the  passage  of  said  law  in  1862. 

Now,  Mr.  Speaker,  why  is  this?  Why  is  it  that  the  an- 
nual tide  of  immigration  sets  in  along  the  line  of  railroads 
which  penetrate  the  States  of  Kansas.  Nebraska,  Iowa,  and 
Minnesota,  and  locate  upon  lands  purchased  of  railroad  com- 
panies on  long  time  at  low  interest  in  preference  to  pushing 
westward  into  Dakota,  where  lands  equally  inviting  can  be 
procured  from  the  government  nominally  without  price,  un- 
der the  boasted  homestead  law  of  congress? 

Because  the  railroad  comjianies  of  the  ^^^est  are  surpass- 
ing the  government  to-day  in  affording  inducements  to  the 
homeless  and  landless  of  the  country,  in  the  twofold  manner 
of  offering  lands  at  small  prices  on  long  time  and  at  low  in- 
terest near. good  markets,  and  the  additional  advantages  of 
remunerative  labor.  In  my  own  territory,  where  the  lands 
of  the  government  are  free  to  all.  but  remote  from  railroads, 
the  munificent  homestead  law  of  congress  has  failed  to  ac- 
complish the  good  results  for  which  it  was  intended;  not 
because  the  law  is  not  generous  and  bountiful  in  its  provi- 
sions, but  because  nature  has  failed  to  supply  our  great  plains 
with  timber  and  fuel  to  render  homesteads  desirable  to  immi- 
grants. Nineteen-twentieths  of  the  whole  territory  consists 
of  treeless  but  fertile  prairies. 


SPEECHES    IN    CONGRESS.  365 

The  commissioner  of  the  general  land  office,  in  his  annual 
report,  says: 

The  climate  and  soil  of  Dakota  are  exceedingly  favorable  to  the 
growth  of  wheat,  corn,  and  other  cereals,  while  all  the  fruits  and  vege- 
tables raised  in  the  northern  States  are  here  produced  in  the  greatest 
perfection.  The  wheat  crop  varies  from  twenty  to  forty  bushels  to  the 
acre.  Oats  have  produced  from  fifty  to  seventy  bushels  per  acre,  and  are 
of  excellent  qualitj'.  The  extensive  prairies  of  Dakota,  clothed  with  dif- 
ferent varieties  of  nutritious  grasses,  afford  great  facilities  for  the  rais- 
ing of  sheep  and  cattle. 

Now,  sir,  this  territory  has  been  open  to  immigration  and 
settlement  for  ten  years,  and  affords  a  striking  example  of 
the  unsuccessful  workings  of  the  homestead  law  in  a  countn^ 
devoid  of  timber  and  deprived  of  railroads.  In  corrobora- 
tion of  this  statement  I  send  to  the  clerk's  desk  and  ask  to 
have  read  a  petition  from  one  thousand  homestead  settlers  in 
Dakota. 

The  clerk  read  as  follows : 

To  the  Honorable  Members  of  Congress  of  the  United  States: 

Whereas  the  great  scarcity  of  timber  off  from  the  running  streams  in 
Dakota  Territory  prevents  the  rapid  settlement  of  our  most  valuable 
prairie  lands,  and  renders  it  wholly  unfit  for  actual  settlement  and  culti- 
vation without  railroads  to  bring  in  lumber  and  fuel,  and  whereas  the 
legislature  of  Dakota  Territory  has  for  the  last  ten  years,  at  each  and 
every  session  since  its  organization,  passed  memorials  to  congress  asking 
for  land  grants  to  railroads;  and  whereas  no  land  has  ever  been  granted 
for  this  purpose  within  the  vast  domain  which  constitutes  Dakota 
proper;  and  whereas  the  legislature  at  its  last  session  was  obliged  to  pass 
a  stringent  herd  law  for  the  protection  of  the  homesteads  on  prairie  lands, 
by  repealing  all  laws  requiring  fences  in  the  Territory;  and  whereas  the 
people  are  now  compelled  to  overburden  themselves  with  taxes  to  assist 
in  building  necessary  railroads,  and  have  recently  voted  $200,000  as  a 
donation  to  the  first  railroad  in  Dakota;  therefore, 

We,  the  undersigned,  bona  Me  settlers  on  the  public  lands,  most 
humbly  petition,  as  the  only  means  to  protect  the  homesteaders  and  settle 
up  our  vast  domain  with  actual  tillers  of  the  soil,  that  limited  grants  of 
the  wild  lands  be  given  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  railroads  to  develop 
the  Territory,  and  that  each  grant  so  given  embrace  a  condition  that  all 
lands  granted  shall  be  sold  to  bona  Me  settlers  only,  in  quantities  not  less 
than  eighty  nor  more  than  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  at  a  price  not 
to  exceed  $2.50  per  acre.  For  which  we  will  ever  pray. 
December,  1871. 


366  SPEECHES    IN    CONGRESS. 

Mr.  Speaker,  this  is  the  prayer  of  i.ooo  hardy  pioneers 
and  industrious  husbandmen  of  Dakota;  the  actual  home- 
stead settlers  of  the  western  plains,  who  have  been  patiently 
laboring  for  ten  years  to  become  prosperous  farmers  on  the 
great  plains,  removed  from  railroads  and  markets.  The  peti- 
tion of  these  laboring-  people  of  the  \^'est  disarms  all  argu- 
ments heretofore  made  in  opposition  to  the  policy  of  en- 
couraging railroads  by  limited  endowments  of  lands.  The 
homeseeker  dreads  a  lonely  exile,  and  he  would  almost  as 
soon  select  a  homestead  in  the  moon  or  preempt  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  blue  sky,  as  to  locate  with  his  wife 
and  family  on  the  green  prairies  of  the  \\^est  thirty  miles 
from  a  tree. 

■"The  birds  avoid  the  desert  for  want  of  trees  to  sing  in. 
And  the  sunny  rills  go  panting  for  shady  nnoks  to  hide  in." 

In  this  enlightened  age,  women  and  children  will  not  go 
to  live  beyond  the  pale  of  civilization,  away  from  schools, 
churches,  markets,  and  mail  routes;  hence,  in  Dakota  the 
settlements  cling  to  the  groves  and  streams,  but  creep  cau- 
tiously and  reluctantly  upon  the  verge  of  the  boundless  prai- 
ries. Towns  are  small  and  scattered,  settlements  weak  and 
dependent,  markets  distant  and  uncertain.  No  coal  has  been 
discovered  in  the  settled  portion  of  the  territory,  and  the  con- 
sequent want  of  fuel,  together  with  the  cost  of  imported  lum- 
ber for  building  purposes,  will  long  delay  the  settlement  of 
the  prairie  regions  unless  the  national  government  intercedes 
and  opens  public  highways  for  trade  and  travel  through  its 
own  great  public  domain.  With  all  the  generous  profifers 
of  free  homesteads  here  extended  to  the  homeless  poor  of 
the  East  for  the  last  ten  years,  there  can  be  found  to-day  rich 
and  arable  prairie  lands  still  unclaimed  and  belonging  to  the 
government,  within  sight  of  the  very  capital  of  the  territory, 
but  are  unfortunately  situated  sixty-five  miles  from  the  near- 
est railroad  market. 


SPEECHES    IN    CONGRESS.  367 

Mr.  Speaker,  if  there  is  any  class  of  American  citizens 
who  are  entitled  to  the  same  regard  from  the  government 
that  is  bestowed  upon  the  soldiers  who  fought  the  battles  of 
our  country,  it  is  the  hardy  pioneers  of  the  West  who  ven- 
ture into  the  wilds,  defying  danger,  subduing  the  plains,  es- 
tablishing villages,  and  planting  upon  the  confines  of  the 
frontier  the  beacon  lights  of  American  progress  and  civiliza- 
tion. Rude  cabins,  uncultured  lands,  bridgeless  streams,  un- 
certain mails,  isolated  schools,  distant  markets,  and  Indian 
dangers  are  a  few  of  the  many  troubles  encountered  by  the 
early  settlers  of  Dakota.  During  the  great  vSioux  Indian 
rebellion  of  1863-64  our  mail  ca^'riers  were  killed  upon  the 
highways,  farmers  were  shot  in  their  fields,  and  families  driven 
from  their  homes  to  take  refuge  in  the  barracks  of  the  towns. 
The  government  was  unable  to  send  troops  to  the  frontier  for 
the  immediate  protection  of  the  settlements,  and  the  militia 
of  the  territory  was  called  out  to  defend  the  lives  of  helpless 
women  and  children.  The  farmer  left  his  unharvested  fields, 
the  mechanic  deserted  his  workshop,  and  the  merchant  closed 
his  door,  to  join  in  the  common  defense  of  life  and  prop- 
erty against  the  threatened  attack  of  the  red  man's  knife  and 
tomahawk.  Notwithstanding  all  this,  these  brave  and  de- 
serving pioneers  have  never  received  from  the  government  a 
dollar  for  their  services  in  defending  the  American  border. 
Added  to  these  hardships  comes  a  law  of  the  last  congress 
compelling  every  preemption  settler  in  the  territory  to  pay 
to  the  government  $200  for  his  land  before  the  14th  day  of 
July  next. 

Now,  sir,  ever  since  the  year  18O1  these  neglected  people 
have  petitioned  congress  to  grant  limited  amounts  of  the 
wild  lands  in  Dakota  for  the  purpose  of  constructing  railroads 
into  the  territory,  and  of  giving  them  easy  communication 
with  the  markets  and  cities  of  the  East,  whereby  they  can 
exchange  the  products  of  the  soil  for  coal,  lumber  and  mer- 
chandise. The  oft-repeated  prayer  of  these  petitioners  hav- 
ing received  no  response  from  congress,  these  feeble  wards 


368  SPEECHES    IN    CONGRESS. 

of  the  government  have  recently  voted  upon  themselves  a 
tax  of  $200,000  to  induce  the  first  railroad  into  the  territory. 
These  bonds,  with  the  accumulated  interest  of  twenty  years, 
will  at  maturity  more  than  pay  the  $1.25  per  acre  for  all  the 
lands  now  belong-ing  to  the  government  within  ten  miles  of 
the  road. 

Mr.  Speaker,  I  beg  relief  from  congress  for  this  neglected 
people.  I  do  not  ask  in  this  bill  any  extravagant  grant  of  lands 
to  a  private  corporation,  but  request  that  one  half  of  the  land 
now  held  in  trust  for  the  future  State  of  Dakota,  may  be  put 
to  immediate  use  for  internal  improvements  in  the  territory. 
I  am  well  aware  that  the  country  has  become  alarmed  at  the 
giant  monopolies  that  have  grown  up  out  of  the  past  mag- 
nificent land  grants  to  railroads ;  but  I  do  hope  that  congress 
has  not  become  so  frightened  at  the  shadow  of  its  former 
liberality  that  it  dare  not  do  justice  by  a  suffering  community. 

The  great  timberless  plains  of  Dakota  can  never  be  set- 
tled by  an  agricultural  people  until  reclaimed  by  some  eco- 
nomic system  of  railways,  irrigation,  and  forest-planting.  I 
am  confirmed  in  this  opinion  after  fifteen  years  of  practical 
experience  in  the  land  surveys  west  of  the  Mississippi  river. 

Mr.  Speaker,  I  will  only  detain  the  House  a  moment 
longer,  while  I  quote  from  the  act  of  September  4.  1841,  the 
provisions  which  I  ask  to  have  applied  to  the  Territory  of 
Dakota : 

Sec.  8.  And  there  shall  be,  and  hereby  is,  granted  to  each  new 
state  that  shall  hereafter  be  adinitted  into  the  Union,  upon  such  admis- 
sion, so  much  land  and  including  such  quantity  as  may  have  been  granted 
to  such  state  before  its  admission,  and  while  under  a  territorial  govern- 
ment, for  the  purposes  of  internal  improvements,  as  shall  make  five  hun- 
dred thousand  acres  of  land,  to  be  selected  and  located  as  aforesaid.  (By 
direction  of  the  legislature.) 

Sec.  9.  And  the  net  proceeds  of  the  sales  of  said  lands  shall  be 
faithfully  applied  to  the  objects  of  internal  improvements  within  the  states 
aforesaid  respectively,  namely,  roads,  railroads,  bridges,  and  improve- 
ment of  water  courses,  and  draining  of  swamps;  and  such  roads,  railways, 


SPEECHES    IN    CONGRESS.  369 

canals,  bridges,  and  water  courses,  when  made  and  improved,  shall  be 
free  for  the  transportation  of  the  United  States  mails  and  munitions  of 
war  and  for  the  passage  of  their  troops  without  payment  of  any  toll  what- 
ever. 

Now,  Mr.  vSpeaker,  T  trust  that  the  liberality  of  conisfress 

will  permit  the  Territory  of  Dakota  to  select  and  apply  to 

the  immediate  objects  of  internal  improvements  within  her 

•  borders,  one-half  of  the  lands  that  will  eventually  fall  to  the 

future  State  of  Dakota,  under  this  act. 

One  acre  of  land  for  this  purpose  now  is  worth  ten  in  the 
far  future,  and  one  line  of  railroad  throug'h  the  territory  at 
present  will  add  more  to  the  nation's  wealth  by  the  advance- 
ment of  settlement  and  civilization  over  the  great  plains,  than 
all  the  homeless  poor  that  will  immigrate  thither,  without 
railroads,  for  the  next  generation. 


dakota  congressional  contest. 

House  oe  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C,  April,  1871. 

Mr.  Armstrong:  I  ask  to  present  a  preamble  and  joint 
resolution  for  the  relief  of  disabilities  in  the  Dakota  triangu- 
lar contest. 

The  Clerk  read  as  follows : 

Whereas  the  coveted  seat  of  M.  K.  Armstrong,  sitting  Delegate  in 
this  House  from  the  Territory  of  Dakota,  is  contested  by  two  of  his  late 
defeated  Republican  opponents  substantially  upon  the  following  grounds 
of  disability,  namely:  first,  that  he  had  no  business  to  be  a  Democrat; 
second,  he  had  no  right  to  run  for  Congress;  third,  it  was  illegal  for 
him  to  receive  more  votes  than  either  of  the  Republican  candidates;  and 
finally,  that  the  people  of  Dakota  had  no  right  to  elect  a  Democrat  to 
Congress  when  two  ambitious  Republicans  were  running  for  and  counted 
upon  the  same  office;  and  whereas  it  is  evident  from  the  result  of  the 
late  election  in  that  Territory  that  three  political  parties  cannot  run  three 
tickets  and  all  be  successful;  and  inasmuch  as  it  is  plain,  without  debate, 
24 


370  SPEECHES    IN    CONGRESS. 

that  three  live  Delegates  from  one  Territory  cannot  all  sit  in  one  con- 
gressional chair,  without  the  removal  of  "natural  disabilities;"  and  whereas 
the  people  of  Dakota  are  fearful  of  being  "represented  to  death,"  by  a 
swarm  of  contestants  who  desire  to  roll  the  sweet  morsel  of  mileage  and 
compensation  beneath  their  tongues  as  a  healing  salve  for  political  de- 
feat; and  whereas  the  sitting  Delegate  is  not  indictable  for  being  favored 
vvith  votes  which  his  opponents  expected  to  get,  and  is  not  blameable  for 
receiving  the  highest  number  of  votes  at  the  polls,  and  in  being  awarded, 
as  he  was,  the  certificate  of  election  by  a  Republican  board  of  canvassers 
and  the  free  indorsement  of  a  Republican  Legislature;  and  whereas  this 
House  does  not  consider  it  an  "outrage"  for  a  Democrat  to  be  elected 
Delegate  to  Congress,  provided  he  behaves  himself,  does  not  vote  on 
adjournment,  nor  make  long  speeches  on  Ku  Klux  "outrages"  [Laugh- 
ter.] 

Therefore,  be  it  resolved.  That  fair  and  deliberate  elections  by  the 
people  of  Dakota,  are  hereby  declared  to  be  as  valid  and  legal,,  as  doubtful 
majorities  in  the  doubtful  States  of  New  Hampshire  and  Connecticut:  and 
that,  out  of  respect  to  the  choice  of  the  people  of  Dakota  in  the  late  elec- 
tion, the  sitting  Delegate  be  permitted  to  retain  his  seat  in  this  House 
long  enovigh,  at  least,  to  warm  the  chair  he  sits  in.  and  to  frank  home  to 
his  constituents  all  the  speeches  recently  made  by  members  on  the  Ku 
Klux  "outrageous  bill."     [Laughter.] 

And  be  it  further  resolved,  That  an  "anxious  bench"'  for  Dakota  con- 
testants be  prepared  in  front  of  the  Speaker's  stand,  and  that  the  time  for 
taking  testimony  in  the  Dakota  triangular  contest  be  extended  throughout 
the  Forty-Second  Congress,  and  whenever  the  contestants  and  sitting 
Delegate  shall  have  submitted  all  their  evidence,  the  Committee  of  Elec- 
tions are  requested  to  report  to  the  House;  whether  they  have  made  the 
important  discovery  that,  by  any  freak  in  politics,  three  men  can  be  elected 
to  the  same  office  at  the  same  time;  and,  if  so,  how  it  is  done. 

[Great  laughter.] 


congressional  speech  on  the  dakota  indian  war. 
House  of  Representatives, 

January  i6,  1874. 
The  house  being  in  the  committee  of  the  whole  for  de- 
bate only,  and  having  under  consideration  the  bill  (H,  R.  No. 
209),  to  provide  for  the  adjustment  of  the  Dakota  war  claims 
of  1862,  Mr.  Armstrong  spoke  as  follows: 

Mr.  Chairman :    Nearly  three  years  ago  I  presented  to  the 
Forty-third  congress  a  bill  to  provide  for  the  payment  of  an 


SPEElCHlvS    IN    CONGRliSS.  371 

Indian  war  debt,  of  $28,137.17.  which  the  United  States  .c^ov- 
ernment  has  justly  owed  to  the  Territory  of  Dakota  since  the 
great  Sioux  outbreak  of  1862,  whose  ravages  extended  over 
western  Minnesota  and  southern  Dakota. 

This  claim  has  been  long-  since  carefully  examined  and 
reported  upon  by  the  territorial  auditor,  and  the  report  ap- 
proved by  the  territorial  legislature,  which  latter  body  has 
repeatedly  memorialized  congress  for  the  payment  of  the 
debt.  By  an  examination  of  the  legislative  report  and  me- 
morial, which  have  already  been  printed  and  laid  before  this 
house,  it  will  be  found  that  the  claim  is  one  of  singular  merit 
and  moderation,  in  comparison  with  that  for  similar  services 
rendered  by  other  territories. 

By  a  proclamation  of  tlie  governor  of  Dakota,  bearing 
date  at  Yankton,  the  capital  of  said  territory,  Aug.  30,  1862, 
the  entire  population  subject  to  military  duty  was  called  into 
active  service,  to  protect  border  settlements  against  the  im- 
pending invasion  of  the  hostile  Sioux  Indians,  who  had  but 
recently  murdered,  in  cold  blood,  several  hundred  innocent 
men,  women  and  children  in  the  adjoining  counties  of  Min- 
nesota. 

In  response  to  this  proclamation  some  three  hundred 
men  in  the  territory  immediately  left  their  fields  and  work- 
shops and  enrolled  themselves  into  militia  companies  for  the 
protection  of  life  and  property,  furnishing  their  own  arms, 
subsistence,  clothing,  etc.,  for  a  term  of  two  months.  By 
distributing  themselves  through  the  several  counties,  these 
self-equipped  companies  of  pioneers,  succeeded  in  holding  the 
Indians  in  check  and  preventing  an  open  war,  until  the  fed- 
eral government  could  spare  reinforcements  to  be  sent  to  the 
frontier  from  the  field  of  the  vSouthern  war. 

Not,  however,  were  these  faithful  pioneers  relieved  from 
their  posts  and  vigilant  duties,  until  their  ripening  and  neg- 
lected harvests  had  become  wasted  and  ruined  in  their  fields; 
two  farmers  had  been  savagely  murdered  while  attempting 
to  o-ather  their  crops  within  a  mile  of  the  vidage  of  Sioux 


0/^ 


SPEECHES    IN    CONGRESS. 


Falls ;  the  town  was  attacked  by  a  war  party  of  Indians,  the 
citizens  shot  at  and  driven  from  the  place,  and  the  village 
afterward  burned  to  ashes ;  a  mail  carrier  between  Sioux  Falls 
and  Yankton  was  waylaid  and  robbed;  a  stage  driver  on  the 
public  highway  from  Fort  Randall  was  shot  dead,  and  his 
horses  stripped  from  the  stage  and  driven  to  the  plains ;  two 
unarmed  citizens  were  attacked  and  shot  in  their  wagons  at 
a  public  ferry,  within  three  miles  of  the  capital  of  the  terri- 
tory. In  Yankton  county  the  farmers  were  driven  from  their 
fields  and  shot  at  in  their  doorways,  until  forced  to  retreat  to 
the  town  for  safety.  Neither  did  these  troubles  end  until  two 
years  after  the  government  had  sent  reenforcements  to  the 
beleaguered  border.  Even  while  United  States  troops  were 
patrolling  the  settlements  in  1864-65,  the  emboldened  and 
daring  Sioux  dashed  upon  a  party  of  farmers,  making  hay 
near  Richland,  in  Union  county,  killing  one  man,  wounding 
another,  and  fleeing  to  the  plains  upon  their  victims'  horses. 
Another  party  of  murderous  savages  crossed  the  Dakota 
border  into  Nebraska,  twelve  miles  below  Yankton,  and  after 
committing  horrid  outrages  and  butchery  upon  an  unpro- 
tected family  of  five  children,  they  eluded  the  United  States 
cavalry,  recrossed  the  river  into  Dakota,  and  escaped  up  the 
Vermillion  valley. 

Upon  the  first  outbreak  of  this  great  Sioux  Indian  war, 
in  the  autumn  of  1862,  and  when  the  territprial  militia  were 
called  to  arms  by  order  of  the  governor,  all  the  farming  set- 
tlements and  exposed  towns  were  quickly  abandoned,  some 
sending  their  women  and  children  to  the  neighboring  states 
for  safety,  while  others  resorted  with  their  families  to  the 
capital  of  the  territory  to  unite  with  the  villagers  for  mutual 
protection.  Above  Vermillion  a  skirmishing  war  party  for  a 
time  prevented  travel  upon  the  stage  road.  At  Yankton  ail 
the  citizens  in  the  surrounding  country  had  assembled  and 
joined  with  the  militia  in  throwing  up  hasty  fortifications 
around  half  a  dozen  buildings  for  shelter  in  the  center  of  the 
town.    Within  these  rude  barracks  the  citizens  remained  un- 


SPEECHES    IN    CONGRESS.  373 

der  arms,  day  and  nig-ht,  until  United  States  troops  began 
to  arrive  and  the  Indians  retreated  from  the  embargoed  set- 
tlements. The  people  then  ventured  back  to  their  devastated 
homes  and  fields  to  glean  a  winter's  subsistence  from  their 
damaged  harvests  and  scattered  herds. 

Now,  Mr.  Speaker,  the  neighboring  States  and  Territo- 
ries of  Minnesota  and  Montana,  have  both  been  reimbursed 
by  the  federal  government,  for  similar  services  and  expenses 
borne  by  them  in  repelling  Indian  invasions  within  their 
borders.  Dakota  has  repeatedly,  through  its  legislature,  pe- 
titioned congress  to  refund  to  the  territory  the  small  amounts 
so  justly  due  the  members  of  the  Dakota  militia  for  their 
timely  services,  given  when  the  nation  needed  all  its  men 
in  the  Southern  war,  and  when  the  women  and  children  of 
the  frontier  were  left  to  the  mercy  of  a  barbarous  foe. 

These  pioneer  militia  are  obliged  to  come  to  congress 
as  their  last  and  only  resort  for  reimbursement.  In  the  early 
part  of  the  Forty-second  congress  I  made  application  in  their 
behalf  to  the  secretary  of  war.  but  was  informed  by  him, 
under  letters  of  March  22,  1871,  and  March  20.  1873,  which 
I  hold  in  my  hand,  that,  notwithstanding  the  "apparent 
merit"  of  the  claim,  he  possessed  no  power  to  pay  the  same 
until  authorized  to  do  so  by  congress  under  a  special  appro- 
priation for  the  purpose,  inasmuch  as  the  governor  of  the 
territory  should  have  first  asked  and  obtained  permission 
from  the  government  before  calling  the  territorial  militia  into 
service.  I  then  introduced  a  bill  into  the  last  congress,  ask- 
ing a  special  appropriation  for  the  purpose,  of  $28,137.17, 
and  also  sent  back  to  the  territory  and  procured  evidence, 
which  was  submitted  to  the  committee  on  military  affairs. 
explaining  that  the  scene  of  the  Indian  outbreak  was,  at  the 
time,  several  hundred  miles  distant  from  the  nearest  railroad 
station  or  telegraph  office ;  and  that  the  first  murders, 
and  the  consequent  panic,  fell  upon  the  settlements  so  sud- 
denly and  without  warning,  that  the  governor  found  it  nee- 


374  SPEECHES    IN    CONGRESS. 

essary  to  rally  the  militia  into  arms  at  once,  and  accordin.^ly 
quite  a  force  of  armed  men  was  put  upon  duty  before  nic^ht- 
fall  of  the  same  day. 

Tn  the  midst  of  the  excitement  and  imminent  dan.q-er,  t'-ie 
o:overnor  was  of  opinion  that  his  appointment  by  the  presi- 
dent as  orovernor  and  commander-in-chief  of  the  militia,  ^si'ave 
him  full  authority  to  call  out  tlie  militia  force  in  case  of  emer- 
gency or  public  danger. 

Upon  the  evidence  presented  with  this  bill  to  the  military 
committee  of  the  house  in  the  last  congress,  that  committee 
reported  back  a  bill  which  passed  the  house,  authorizing  the 
secretary  of  war  to  examine  the  accounts  and  report  to  con- 
gress the  amounts  found  justly  due  and  necessary  to  be  paid. 
This  bill  was  also  examined  and  reported  upon  favorably  by 
the  military  committee  in  the  senate,  ^larch  ist,  but  among 
many  other  bills  it  was  not  reached  on  the  calendar  before 
the  final  adjournment  of  last  congress. 

Hence,  sir,  I  have  brought  the  bill  again  before  the  pres- 
ent congress,  and  I  now  again  ask  that  justice  be  done  to  this 
handful  of  territorial  militia  of  1862,  who  periled  their  lives 
in  defending  the  outposts  of  Western  civilization  and  settle- 
ment. Tn  reference  to  the  fairness  of  the  claim,  the  military 
committee  of  the  last  house,  in  their  published  report,  speaks 
as  follows: 

The  action  of  the  Governor  in  calhng  out  the  troops,  and  of  the  citizens 
in  responding  promptly  in  the  emergency,  seemed  to  be  all  that  could 
be  done,  and  the  only  thing  that  could  be  done,  for  the  defense  of  the 
jjeople  of  the  Territory,  since  no  troops  of  the  general  government  could 
come  in  time  to  the  rescue,  and  it  seemed  madness  to  wait  till  the  authori- 
ties at  Washington  could  be  reached  and  could  furnish  military  aid. 

The  accounts  seemed  to  have  been  carefully  examined  by  the  com- 
mission and  to  have  met  the  approval  of  the  auditor,  and  are  set  out  in 
full,  with  the  items.  The  sum,  $28,137.17.  seems  to  be  a  reasonable  and 
fair  one,  and  we  feel  Justified  in  recommending  its  payment. 

The  report  of  the  territorial  legislature  gives  the  names 
of  three  hundred  and  thirty-six  persons  as  entitled  to  j?ay, 
making  the  aggregate  amount  of  $28,187,17,  or  an  average 
of  about  $87  to  each  claimant. 


SPEECHES    IN    CONGRESS,  375 

Mr.  Speaker,  it  is  unnecessary  for  me  to  recall  to  the 
attention  of  this  house  the  manifold  perils  and  hardships, 
wrong-s  and  snfiferings.  exposures  and  cruelties  endured  by 
the  early  pioneer  families  of  the  g-reat  West.  I  would  he 
met  by  the  old  and  oft-repeated  argument  of  philanthropists 
and  theorists,  that  "the  white  man  is  always  to  blame."  This 
declaration,  sir.  is  thoughtlessly  made  by  men  who  look  at 
and  admire  the  "noble  red  man"  as  pictured  in  the  distance, 
through  the  romance  and  poetry  of  enthusiastic  and  imag- 
inary authors.  Of  all  the  races  of  men  upon  the  globe,  it  is  a 
historical  fact  that  those  who  are  the  most  ignorant  and  un- 
civilized are  everywhere  the  most  depraved  and  barbarous. 
But,  notwithstanding  this  acknowledged  rule  of  mankind,  we 
find  many  prominent  Christian  statesmen  and  distinguished 
philanthropists  of  the  present  enlightened  day,  so  blinded  by 
sympathy  for  the  heathen  races,  that  they  openly  avow  their 
belief  that  the  wild  and  superstitious  tribes  of  the  West,  who 
grope  in  their  predatory  dens,  beyond  the  light  of  Christian- 
ity and  civilization,  are  among  the  most  noble  and  praise- 
worthy creatures  on  earth.  This  opinion  to  a  great  extent 
pervades  in  the  halls  of  congress  and  at  the  departments  of 
the  government,  and  in  accordance  therewith  millions  of  dol- 
ars  of  the  people's  money  is  annually  appropriated  to  feed 
and  clothe  these  "noble  red  men"  of  the  West,  including  all 
tribes,  the  good  and  the  bad  alike.  Wild  and  speculative  re- 
ports as  to  the  exaggerated  population  of  the  wild  tribes  to 
be  clothed  and  fed,  are  annually  received  and  acted  upon,  and 
large  supplies  shipped  into  the  wilderness,  based  upon  a  cen- 
sus of  thousands  of  Indians  who  do  not  exist. 

But  the  white  settler  is  obliged  to  go  into  the  far  West  to 
hew  out  his  home  and  sustain  his  wife  and  little  ones  upon 
the  resources  of  his  own  industry;  and  these  defenseless 
settlers  are  the  ones  who  first  fall  beneath  the  avenging  toma- 
hawk of  the  red  man,  whenever  a  wild  tribe  becomes  enraged 
at  the  neglect  or  tardiness  of  the  government  in  supplying 
their  promised  subsistence. 


376  SPEECHES    IN    CONGRESS. 

Such  was  the  cause  and  the  terrible  effect  of  the  Dakota 
and  Minnesota  Indian  war  of  1862.  The  helpless  and  inno- 
cent women  and  children  of  the  frontier  were  indiscriminately 
murdered,  to  avenge  the  wrong-  and  deception  practiced  by 
the  general  government  in  making  the  promised  payments  to 
the  neighboring  Sioux  of  Minnesota.  In  proof  of  this  I  need 
only  to  cite  the  fact  that  prior  to  the  Sioux  troubles  which 
broke  out  in  Dakota  in  1862,  the  frontier  settlers  of  the  terri- 
tor}'  had  experienced  no  serious  annoyance  from  the  Indians ; 
while  tourists,  fur  traders,  and  scientific  explorers  had,  for  half 
a  century  previous,  been  accustomed  to  travel  unharmed 
among  all  the  wild  tribes  of  the  territory  from  the  Missouri 
river  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  And  as  a  further  evidence 
that  the  most  friendly  relations  existed  between  the  early  set- 
tlers and  the  Indians  of  Southern  Dakota  I  need  only  to  re- 
peat that  no  murders  nor  depredations  were  committed  upon 
the  life  or  property  of  the  pioneer  immigrants,  until  the 
neighboring  Sioux  of  Minnesota  were  provoked  into  open 
and  savage  war  upon  all  whites,  by  the  faithless  treatment  re- 
ceived at  the  hands  of  the  federal  government. 

Ever  since  1859  all  of  Southern  Dakota  has  been  for- 
ri£lly  open  to  immigration  and  settlement.  In  that  year  the 
Yankton  Sioux  Indians  delivered  up  to  the  government  their 
possessions  of  lands  in  this  section,  in  accordance  with  a 
treaty  concluded  at  Washington  the  previous  year,  by  the 
provisions  of  which  treaty  they  are  guaranteed  by  the 
United  States  the  sum  of  $t. 666. 000.  to  be  paid  in  annual 
installments  for  fifty  years,  in  addition  to  a  reservation  of 
400,000  acres.  In  the  following  year  the  United  States  gov- 
ernment commenced  the  survey  of  its  newly-acquired  landed 
purchase,  and  proclaimed  the  country  open  to  immigration, 
thereby  inviting  colonization  and  settlement  under  the  am- 
ple protection  of  the  laws  of  the  United  States. 

In  1 86 1  congress  even  went  further,  and  gave  to  the  peo- 
ple a  territorial  government,  in  order  that  they  might  feel 
the  fullest  protection  afforded  by  the  strong  arm  of  the  gov- 


SPEECHES    IN    CONGRESS.  377 

ernment,  to  all  its  citizens  eng-as^ed  in  the  peaceful  pursuits 
of  industry.  But  how  have  they  been  protected?  I  need 
not  again  detail  the  wrongs  and  sufferings,  rapine  and  mur- 
ders, sustained  by  the  early  pioneers  at  the  hands  of  a  horde 
of  enraged  savages  precipitated  upon  them  from  a  neighbor- 
ing state,  at  a  time  when  they  were  living  upon  terms  of 
peace  and  friendship  with  their  own  neighboring  Indians — 
the  Yanktons.  Neither  does  it  seem  necessary  for  me  to 
inform  this  house  of  the  fact  that  while  in  the  midst  of  these 
Indian  troubles,  the  pioneers  of  Dakota  enlisted  and  furnished 
from  their  own  thin  ranks  two  full  companies  of  cavalry  for 
the  United  States  army. 

And  what  grand  results  have  these  pioneers  accomplished 
since  the  organization  of  that  territory?  •  Sir,  they  have  main- 
tained the  outposts  of  frontier  civilization  from  1862  to  1865, 
while  harassed  by  Indians  in  their  fields,  at  their  homes,  and 
upon  the  highways.  They  have,  by  steady  and  unceasing  in- 
dustry, overcome  their  disasters,  and  are  fast  becoming  a  pro- 
ductive and  prosperous  people.  They  have  subdued  the 
plains,  opened  farms  and  thoroughfares,  established  schools 
and  churches,  founded  most  beautiful  villages,  and  organized 
many  flourishing  counties.  They  have  built  railroads  and 
telegraph  lines  without  government  aid ;  they  have  con- 
structed bridges  and  established  steam  ferries,  and  have  built 
depots  of  trade,  and  induced  boats  of  trafific  to  the  navigable 
rivers  of  the  territory.  They  have  converted  the  wild  prai- 
ries into  blooming  grain  fields  and  lovely  homes,  and  have 
advanced  from  a  handful  of  struggling  pioneers  to  a  popula- 
tion of  forty  thousand  people,  producing  their  annual 
millions  of  grain  and  paying  taxes  upon  their  assessed  mill- 
ions of  wealth.  What  people,  I  ask,  sir,  have  done  more  or 
deserve  better  at  the  hands  of  congress? 


378  SPEECHES    IN    CONGRESS. 

CONGRESSIONAL   SPEECH   IN   BEHALF  OF   THE   GREAT   WEST   ON 
HOUSE  BILL.  2081,  FOR  RELIEF  OF  FRONTIER  SETTLEMENTS. 

HousK  OF  Representatives, 

January  24,  1874. 
Mr.  Speaker:  The  farmers  and  tillers  of  the  soil  upon  the 
woodless  prairies  of  the  great  West  deserve  and  should  re- 
ceive from  the  national  congress  some  favorable  legislation 
to  encourage  the  planting  of  forests  and  utilizing  the  water 
courses  of  the  plains.  These  vast  prairies  are  among  the 
most  fertile  regions  of  the  American  continent,  and  need  only 
the  fostering  hand  of  the  government  to  render  them  most 
populous  and  productive.  Political  economy  teaches  us  that 
nations  become  rich  and  powerful  in  proportion  as  they  de- 
velop their  resources,  reclaim  their  uncultured  wilds,  and  im- 
prove and  utilize  their  inland  waters.  The  peculiar  nuali- 
ties  of  the  soil  of  our  western  prairies  naturally  adapt  them  to 
become  the  inexhaustible  grain  fields  of  America,  provided 
the  national  congress  will  but  encourage  the  cultivation  of 
eroves  of  timber  thereon  for  the  uses  and  habitations  of  man. 
Congress,  at  its  last  session,  in  answer  to  appeals  from  the 
representatives  of  the  Western  States  and  territories,  passed 
a  law  entitled  "An  act  to  encourage  the  growth  of  timber  on 
western  prairies."  This  law  was  in  the  nature  of  a  home- 
stead act,  and  granted  a  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  prairie 
land  to  any  person  who  would  plant  and  keep  in  a  growing 
condition  thereon  for  ten  years,  forty  acres  of  timber.  By 
some  oversight  in  framing  the  bill,  only  one  year  from  the 
date  of  entry  was  allowed  to  settlers  in  which  to  go  through 
the  whole  process  of  breaking  the  prairies  and  planting  the 
trees.  It  is  well  known  that  the  stubborn  turf  of  our  western 
prairies  cannot  be  sufficiently  subdued  within  one  year  to 
admit  of  the  prosperous  growth  of  young  transplanted  trees. 
Hence  lengthy  petitions  have  come  tO'  this  congress  from 
the  farmers  of  the  west,  asking  such  a  modification  of  the 
"timber  culture  act"  as  will  allow  at  least  one  year  for  the 
planting  of  young  trees,  after  the  sod  has  been  turned  under 


SPEECHES    IN    CONGRESS.  379 

by  the  plow.  The  amended  bill  now  before  this  house  pro- 
vides that  the  plowing-  and  planting  shall  take  place  in  in- 
stallments of  ten  acres  each  year  until  the  whole  is  com- 
pleted. Under  the  encouragement  of  such  a  law  our  west- 
ern prairies  would  become  dotted  with  beautiful  groves, 
serving  as  a  protection  against  the  droughts  of  summer  and 
the  rigors  of  winter. 

In  advocacy  of  natio'.al  legislation  upon  this  subject  we 
have  an  abundance  of  lavorable  precedents  in  many  of  the 
older  European  states.  We  are  informed  that  in  France  and 
Italy  the  destruction  of  the  forests  within  the  last  few  cen- 
turies has  materially  affected  the  climate,  so  much  so  that  in 
many  places  the  cultivation  of  wheat,  the  olive  and  the  grape 
has  been  partially  abandoned,  or  driven  several  leagues  inland 
l)y  the  harsh  winds  that  invade  the  land  from  the  naked  coast. 

By  the  felling  of  the  woods  on  the  Apennines  the  destruc- 
tive sirocco  prevails  in  the  valley  of  the  Po,  damaging  the 
harvtsi  and  vineyards  and  often  ruining  the  crops  of  the 
sej.son,  like  the  ravaging  tornadoes  and  summer  hail-storms 
of  our  great  American  prairies.  In  those  sections  of  Europe 
where  once  the  straw  roofs  of  the  peasants  withstood  the 
power  of  the  winds,  tiles  and  slabs  are  now  required.  One 
of  the  oldest  pine  woods  in  that  foreign  country  havijig  been 
destroyed  the  region  was  only  relieved  from  the  increasing 
siroccos  and  fitful  storms  by  replanting  the  forests  to  resinous 
trees.  In  many  parts  of  Italy.  France  and  Switzerland  a  per- 
ceptible lateness  of  spring  is  complained  of.  since  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  forests  which  formerly  screened  and  warmed  the 
;idjacent  areas. 

Travelers  inform  us  that  from  the  cathedral  of  Antwerp, 
in  Belgium,  where  forty  years  ago  nothing  could  be  seen  but 
the  vast  desert  plain,  is  now  found  extensive  forests  planted  by 
hand  of  man,  the  trees  being  set  in  regular  rows.  These  syl- 
van plantations  have  softened  the  climate,  induced  rain,  and 
transformed  the  barren  sands  into  fertile  fields. 


38o  SPEECHES    IN    CONGRESS. 

Experience  in  forest  planting-  has  proved  that  rows  of 
trees,  ten  feet  high  and  standing  one  hundred  feet  apart,  will 
protect  the  intervening  ground  against  winds  and  drifting 
snows,  inasmuch  as  the  currents  of  air  move  so  nearly  parallel 
with  the  earth's  surface.  Trees  standing  in  rows,  three  hun- 
dred feet  apart  and  thirty  feet  high,  will  also  afiford  propor- 
tionate protection  to  the  intervening  ground  on  western  prai- 
ries. It  is  also  a  fact  too  well  known  to  be  repeated  here,  that 
in  winter  the  soil  in  the  open  fields  and  naked  prairies  freezes 
from  two  to  four  feet  deep,  while  the  ground  in  the  woods 
is  barey  crusted  with  frost,  and  that  winter  wheat  and  green 
tufts  of  grass  survive  the  whole  winter  when  surrounded  by 
trees,  while  the  cutting  wind  of  the  open  prairie  lays  bare  the 
tender  roots  to  killing  frosts  and  icy  sleets.  The  heat,  also, 
that  is  generated  by  living  groves,  and  often  by  a  single  tree, 
is  attested  by  the  many  instances  of  a  solitary  oak  or  ever- 
green, clinging  to  and  growing  upon  a  cold  rock  in  the  cliiTs, 
with  barely  soil  enough  to  cover  its  roots,  and  of  the  many 
groves  upon  frosty  mountain  heights,  which  flourish  in  snow 
and  ice  through  the  winter  months,  drawing  \varmth  with 
their  roots  from  the  frozen  earth,  and  sending  to  the  remotest 
branches  of  the  trees  a  life-sap,  like  the  blood  in  a  child's 
fingers. , 

Scientific  investigation  has  shown  that  trees  maintain,  at 
all  seasons  of  the  year,  a  constant  mean  temperature  of  fifty- 
four  degrees  above  zero,  even  while  the  state  of  the  atmos- 
phere is  far  below  the  freezing  point,  and  that  this  mean  tem- 
perature of  the  groves  sensibly  ameliorates  and  softens  the 
air  of  adjacent  plains,  producing  rain.  The  American  elm. 
for  instance,  has  been  known  to  produce,  in  one  season,  seven 
million  leaves,  or  a  foliage  surface  of  about  five  acres,  upon 
one  tree,  while  the  sugar  maple  of  Vermont  often  yields  eight 
gallons  of  sap  per  day  for  the  season. 

Philosophy  informs  us  that  as  the  lightning-rod  abstracts 
the  electric  fluid  from  the  skies,  so  the  forest  attracts  to  itself 
the  rain  from  the  clouds,  which,  in  falling,  refreshes  not  itself 


SPEECHES    IN    CONGRESS.  3^^' 

alone,  but  extends  its  showers  to  the  neighboring  fields.  The 
terrible  droughts  which  desolate  the  Cape  Verd  islands  are 
attributed  to  the  destruction  of  its  original  forests,  while  in 
the  Island  of  Saint  Helena  the  wooded  area  has  largely  ex- 
tended since  the.  exile  of  Napoleon,  and  in  consequence  there- 
of the  rains  there  are  twice  as  frequent  and  copious  as  in  for- 
mer days.  Coultas  says  that  the  woods,  winds  and  sea,  form 
the  several  parts  of  nature's  grand  distillery;  the  sea  is  the 
boiler  in  which  vapor  is  raised  by  the  rays  of  the  sun,  the 
winds  are  the  conducting  tubes  which  carry  the  steam-clouds 
to  the  forests  which  possess  a  lower  temperature.  This  nat- 
urally accumulates  and  condenses  the  misty  vapor  into  rain- 
clouds,  which,  becoming  too  heavy  to  float  in  the  air,  descend 
to  the  earth  in  showers. 

Sir  John  Herschel  ascribes  the  extreme  aridity  of  Spain 
to  the  proverbial  hatred  of  the  Spaniards  toward  trees,  while 
in  Egypt,  he  asserts  that  recent  plantations  of  the  palm  tree 
have  caused  rains  in  desert  regions,  where  hitherto  such  a 
thing  vras  almost  unknown.  In  Palestine  and  many  other 
parts  of  Asia  and  Northern  Africa,  which  in  ancient  times 
were  the  granaries  of  Europe,  fertile  and  populous,  the  lands 
have  become  deserts,  deprived  of  rain,  springs  and  water 
courses,  brought  about  by  the  gradual  prostration  of  the  for- 
ests. From  the  same  cause,  many  districts  in  Southern 
France  have  become  barren  wastes  of  stone,  where  once  the 
grape  and  olive  yielded  in  profusion. 

The  great  scarcity  of  springs  and  running  streams  all  over 
our  American  prairies,  can  also  be  accounted  for  by  the  ab- 
sence of  groves  and  forests.  It  is  well  established  that  the 
protection  afforded  by  forests  against  the  escape  of  moisture 
from  the  soil,  insures  the  permanence  and  regularity  of  nat- 
ural springs  and  running  brooks.  In  the  settlement  of  the 
Western  states  it  has  always  been  observed  that  clearing  the 
grounds  of  forests,  not  only  causes  running  springs  to  dis- 
appear, but  dries  up  ponds  and  reduces  the  water  courses. 


382  SPEECHES    IN    CONGRESS. 

In  the  vallcv  of  Araqna,  Europe,  Hiiniboldt  relates  an  in- 
btarce  of  a  lake  drying  up  by  the  clearing  of  the  forests  to  such 
an  extent  that,  from  the  sixteenth  to  the  eighteenth  century, 
the  waters  retreated  two  and  a  half  leagues,  deserting  a  city 
formerly  founded  upon  its  shores.  The  lands  laid  bare  by 
the  retreat  of  the  waters  were  converted  into  admirable  plan- 
tations of  cotton,  bananas  and  sugar  cane.  Numerous  in- 
stances are  recorded,  in  the  older  agricultural  regions  of  the 
globe,  where  streams  and  flowing  springs  have  become  so 
reduced  by  the  felling  of  the  forests  over  great  areas,  that 
the  mills  and  factories  formerly  erected  upon  these  water 
courses  have  long  since  been  abandoned  for  want  of  sufficient 
water  to  drive  their  wheels. 

The  influence  of  forests  on  springs  is  strikingly  illustrated 
by  many  instances  in  the  European  empire.  Near  the  town 
of  Heilbronn  the  woods  on  the  hills  surrounding  the  town 
are  cut  in  regular  succession  every  twentieth  year.  As  the 
annual  cuttings  approach  a  certain  point  the  springs  yield  less 
water,  some  of  them  none  at  all ;  but  as  the  young  growth 
shoots  up  the}-  tlow  more  and  more  freely,  and  at  length  bub- 
ble up  again  in  all  their  original  abundance.  Another  in- 
stance is  related  of  a  great  fountain,  imbedded 'in  the  deep 
woods  of  France,  which  formerly  supplied  all  the  fountains  of 
a  large  village,  but  since  the  clearing  of  the  surrounding  for- 
ests this  great  reservoir  sends  forth  but  a  mere  thread  of  water. 
William  Cullen  Bryant,  the  great  American  author,  says  that 
fifty  years  ago  large  barges  loaded  with  goods  went  up  and 
down  the  Cuyahoga  river,  and  that  a  large  vessel  was  built 
upon  its  shores  and  floated  down  its  channel  to  the  lake. 
Now,  in  an  ordinary  stage  of  water,  a  skifif  or  canoe  can 
hardly  pass  down  the  stream.  Professor  Hayden,  United 
States  geologist,  also  confirms  what  every  settler  on  our  great 
plains  has  often  observed,  that  the  creeks  and  rivers  which 
meander  long  distances  through  pur  naked  and  woodless 
wastes,  contain  no  m.ore  water  a  hundred  miles  down  the 
stream  in  the  open  prairies,  than  near  their  sources  among 


SPEECHES    IN    CONGRESS.  3<S3 

hills  and  l)]iiffs.  Many  of  our  prairie  streams  also,  which  fur- 
nish a  su])ply  of  living  water  near  their  sources,  are  known  to 
sink  beneath  the  ground,  and  can  be  traced  only  by  standing 
pools  which  rise  to  the  surface  under  some  protecting  bank 
or  shade,  away  from  the  sun  and  winds  of  the  desert.  Groves 
planted  along  these  dead  water  courses  on  our  western  prai- 
ries, have  been  known  to  bring  to  the  surface  living  ponds  of 
water. 

The  day  is  approaching  when  a  national  system  of  irriga- 
tion will  be  required  to  reclaim  our  great  American  prairies 
of  the  northwest,  whereby  the  larger  streams  and  water 
courses  may  be  diverted,  in  part,  through  constructed  chan- 
nels, to  the  woodless  and  waterless  regions  of  the  interior. 
The  natural  lakes  and  water  courses  of  the  West  are  merely 
reservoirs  for  the  plains,  which  must  be  utilized  and  distrib- 
uted by  the  hand  of  man.  And  this  can  be  done  at  a  much 
less  cost  than  was  incurred  by  the  New  England  pioneers,  in 
clearing  the  forests  and  stumps  from  those  sections  which 
now  constitute  the  most  flourishing  states  in  the  Union.  In 
the  territories  of  Colorado  and  Utah  much  has  already  been 
done  by  irrigation  companies  to  cause  the  desert  to  blossom 
as  the  rose.  In  the  vicinity  of  Salt  Lake  City,  as  I  am  informed 
by  the  intelligent  delegate  from  that  territory,  irrigation  has 
for  many  years  been  resorted  to  with  great  success  m  the  cul- 
tivation of  field  and  garden.  In  that  territory  irrigation  laws 
have  been  enacted,  and  v/ater  companies  chartered,  which  are 
limited  to  certain  areas,  and  by  means  of  drains  and  ditches 
the  waters  of  the  rivers  are  tapped  and  led  over  large  fields 
and  through  dead  furrows,  which  divide  the  plowed  area  into 
lands  narrow  in  width,  thereby  infiltrating  the  entire  surface. 

This  subject  has  become  of  such  national  importance  in 
reclaiming  the  vast  timberless  domain  of  the  Northwestern 
territories,  that  the  president  of  the  United  States,  in  his  last 
annual  message  to  congress,  recommends  the  enactment  of 
laws  to  promote  irrigation  over  the  waterless  plains  of  the 
West,  by  conducting  portions  of  the  river  waters  through  ar- 


384  SPEECHES   IN    CONGRESS, 

lificial  canals  to  the  parched  interior  plains.  For  this  purpose 
a  portion  of  the  public  lands  in  alternate  sections  should  be 
set  aside  and  disposed  of  to  such  corporations  or  local  gov- 
ernments, as  will  reclaim  from  sterility  the  remaining  and  ad- 
jacent sections  belonging  to  the  United  States.  Irrigation 
has  been  carried  on  successfully  for  many  years  in  a  number 
of  the  older  countries  of  the  eastern  hemisphere.  In  France, 
Lombardy  and  Sardinia  there  are  more  than  three  thousand 
square  miles  of  artificially  watered  lands,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  vast  areas  in  Italy,  Egypt,  Syria,  Turkey  and  the  Mediter- 
ranean basin,  which  have  been  reclaimed  and  rendered  suit- 
able for  cultivation  by  the  process  of  irrigation  alone. 

An  ancient  writer  informs  us  that  the  first  inhabitants  of 
the  sandy  valley  of  the  Nile  were  desert-dwellers,  with  the 
nomadic  Arabs  as  neighbors.  But  the  civilized  people  of 
Egypt  transformed,  by  irrigating  canals,  the  desert  waste  into 
the  richest  granary  of  the  world,  and  liberated  themselves 
from  the  shackles  of  rock  and  sand.  The  river  Nile  receives 
not  a  single  tributary  stream  in  its  whole  course  through 
Egypt ;  there  is  not  so  much  as  a  living  spring  in  the  whole 
land,  and  with  the  exception  of  a  narrow  strip  of  coast,  the 
rainfall  in  the  territory  of  the  Pharaohs  is  not  two  inches  in 
the  year.  We  are  also  informed  that  one-fifth  of  the  whole 
volume  of  water  which  is  carried  by  the  Nile  to  the  Mediter- 
ranean, is  diverted  from  its  natural  channel  through  artificial 
canals,  and  applied  to  irrigating  about  three  and  one-half  mil- 
lion acres  of  land  throughout  Egypt.  Artesian  wells  have 
also  been  sunken  in  many  countries,  for  the  double  purpose 
of  obtaining  water  in  the  dry  regions  and  at  the  same  time 
penetrating  deposits  of  coal  or  other  minerals  hidden  beneath 
the  surface.  The  French  government,  within  the  last  number 
of  years,  has  bored  numerous  artesian  wells  in  the  Algerian 
desert,  every  one  of  which  became  the  nucleus  of  a  settle- 
ment proportioned  to  the  supply  of  water.  In  i860  several 
nomadic  tribes  had  established  themselves  around  these  wells 


si'i'i-nii'S   IN   i"n\r.Ri'ss.  3<S5 

and  planted  more  than  ^o.odo  ])alm  trees,  besides  otlier  peren- 
nial frnit-bearin^'  shrubs. 

The  same  j^oliex'  could  be  ad<)i)ted  with  ad\ama^"e  ujjon 
the  great  prairies  of  the  \\  est.  and  would  doubtless  result  in 
tapi^ino-  concealed  coal  beds  in  many  localities,  while  in  other 
sections  subterranean  waters  would  be  reached  and  forced 
to  tiie  surface  of  the  |)arched  desert  for  the  uses  of  settlement. 
In  Canada,  Brazil  and  other  countries  innniorants  have  been 
furnished  ])\  the  go\-ermnent  with  transportation  for  them- 
selA'Cs  and  families,  besides  a  supph'  of  tools,  utensils,  seeds, 
food  and  lumber  for  one  year,  the  amount  adxanced  to  be  se- 
cured by  mortgage  on  their  new  farms,  at  low  interest  on 
long  time.     W'h}-  cannot  our  go\-ernment  do  as  nmch? 

Nearly  one-half  the  area  of  our  American  domain  is  yet 
but  sparsel}-  settled,  and  a  large  proportion  of  our  Xorth west- 
ern territories,  though  fertile  in  soil,  sutlers  from  a  scarcity 
of  timber  and  running  streams.  Jt  is  the  duty  of  the  govern- 
ment to  develop  .ts  hidden  resources,  and  encourage  its  peo- 
p\e  in  new  fields  of  industry  and  enterprise.  Enact  such  gen- 
erous laws  as  will  induce  immigration,  and  open  new  homes 
and  harvest  fields  all  oxer  the  broad  and  uninhabited  prairies 
of  the  West.  Then  will  our  own  grain  fields  supply  Europe 
with  bread,  and  bring  money  to  our  shores,  in  return  for  the 
millions  in  gold  which  we  are  taxed  yearly  to  ])ay  as  in- 
terest on  our  national  debt. 

Mr.  Chairman,  I  hope  the  bill,  as  re])orted  b}-  the  com- 
mittee on  the  public  lands,  will  pass  this  house  and  become  a 
law^ 


CONGRF.SSiONAI.  Sri'KCH  TN   HKHALF  OF  NORTH    DAKolA.    IN    ISTI. 

Hoi'sr:  ov  Rkpresentatix'F.s, 

March  14,  1874. 
Mr.  Armstrong  said  : 

Under  instructions  of  the  territorial  legislature  of  Dakota, 
1  introduced  a  bill  in  the  early  part  of  the  last  congress,  pro- 
25 


386  SPEECHES    IX    CONGRESS. 

viding  for  the  organization  of  a  separate  territorial  govern- 
ment out  of  that  portion  of  Dakota  north  of  the  forty-sixth 
parallel.  Notwithstanding  the  urgent  memorials  of  the  legis- 
lature of  that  territory  upon  this  subject,  congress  has  thus 
far  arrived  at  no  definite  action  in  the  premises,  and  the  bill 
is  again  before  the  present  congress,  backed  by  the  petitions 
of  thousands  of  citizens  residing  in  the  northern  part  of  said 
territory. 

The  only  objection  raised  to  the  bill  in  the  last  congress 
was  that  the  proposed  new  territory  was  too  thinly  settled  and 
too  poor  in  wealth  and  development  to  warrant  self-govern- 
ment. 

These  objections,  sir,  have  in  a  good  measure  been  re- 
moved within  the  past  year,  and  cannot  now  be  fairly  urged 
against  the  present  bill. 

Two  hundred  miles  of  the  Northern  Pacific  railroad  have 
been  pushed  westward  across  that  Territors^  from  the  fertile 
valley  of  the  Red  River  to  the  navigable  waters  of  the  Upper 
Missouri.  Two  newspapers  are  published  in  the  proposed 
territory,  and  stirring  and  enterprising  towns  have  been  built 
up  at  Fargo,  Jamestown  and  Bismarck  on  the  said  railroad, 
while  immigration  and  settlement  are  rapidly  filling  up  the 
accessible  river  valle3'S.  Steamboats  navigate  the  Red  river 
nearly  two  hundred  miles  into  the  proposed  territory,  return- 
ing with  thousands  of  tons  of  freight  for  the  Hudson  Bay 
settlements;  while  along  said  stream  in  Dakota  new  towns 
and  mills  are  being  established.  Nearly  four  hundred  miles 
of  telegraph  line  are  in  operation,  and  at  Pembina,  Grand 
Forks,  Fargo  and  Richville,  quite  a  trade  is  already  carried 
on  in  the  way  of  shipping  and  reshipping  freights.  United 
States  courts  are  held  at  Fargo,  Bismarck  and  Pembina,  and 
a  United  States  land  office  has  recently  been  established  at 
the  former  place,  while  the  settlers  are  urgently  petitioning 
for  a  land  office  at  Bismarck  to  accommodate  the  increasing 
settlements  in  the  Missouri  valley.  Many  large  steamboats 
ply  for  several  hundred  miles  through  the  proposed  territory 


SPEECHES    IN    CONGRESS.  387 

on  the  waters  of  the  Missouri,  and  pass  far  above  the  month 
of  the  Yellowstone  into  Montana,  carrying  government 
freight  for  the  forts  and  agencies,  and  mercantile  goods  for 
the  mining  districts.  Already  several  thousand  people  have 
gone  into  this  northern  territory,  and  are  preparing  farms, 
homes  and  villages,  in  anticipation  of  the  favorable  action  of 
congress  upon  this  bill. 

As  early  as  1864  the  United  States  government  virtually 
declared  the  Red  River  valley  open  to  settlement  when  it  pur- 
chased the  same  by  treaty  from  the  Red  Lake  and  Pembina 
Indians,  and  invited  white  settlers  to  locate  upon  the  newly 
acquired  lands.  In  accordance  therewith,  homestead  settlers 
have  gone  into  that  country  and  can  be  found  located  in 
nearly  all  the  river  valleys  and  Northwestern  Dakota ;  es- 
pecially upon  the  Pembina,  Turtle.  Goose,  Cheyenne  and 
Wild  Rice  rivers. 

Many  worthy  and  adventurous  settlers  also  established 
their  pioneer  claims  in  the  country  prior  to  the  location  of  the 
Northern  Pacific  railroad,  and  upon  lands  that  the  govern- 
ment had  proclaimed  as  open  to  settlement;  but  at  a  later 
date  they  were  apprised  of  the  fact  that  a  mysterious  and  un- 
discovered treaty  with  the  Wapeton  and  Sisseton  Indians, 
made  in  1867,  covered  the  whole  domain,  and  reserved  these 
lands  for  the  Indians  as  against  settlers. 

Notwithstanding  this  treat}^  the  government  had  in  the 
meantime  ignorantly  extended  its  surveys  over  portions  of 
this  reservation,  thus  inviting  settlements  to  follow.  Not  un- 
til 1873  did  the  United  States  succeed  in  correcting,  by  an  act 
oi  congress,  this  blind  treaty  of  1867;  and  during  this  inter- 
val the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  company  had  pushed  its 
surveyed  line  through  the  country  and  filed  its  plat  for  with- 
drawal of  lands  with  the  secretary  of  the  interior,  Feb.  21, 
1872.  Hence  so  soon  as  this  treaty  cloud  was  cleared  up  by 
the  act  of  congress,  the  railroad  survey  being  on  file,  imme- 
diately attached  to  all  odd  numbered  sections  within  its 
granted  limits,  thus  covering  the  homestead  claims  of  many 


388  ?i'i' Kcin;s   i\   coxc.rkss. 

of  the  poor  and  needy  settlers,  who.  l)y  the  niHiiii"  of  tlie  gen- 
eral land  ofifice  had  acfjuired  no  rights  to  their  homesteads 
while  they  were  upon  these  lands  reserved  for  Indians,  be- 
tween the  years  iHf)j  and  187^:;;  and  in  face  of  tlie  fact  that 
congress  originally  granted  only  the  unoccupied  odd  sections 
to  the  railroad.  These  settlers  hax'C  continued  to  reside  in 
the  territorx':  and  all  those  upon  odd  numbered  sections  are 
now  put  to  the  hardshi])  and  injustice  of  removing  from  their 
im]iroved  lands,  and  beginning  new  homes  upon  the  even 
numbered  sections,  unless  relief  is  afforded  by  the  govern- 
ment. 

Sir.  T  can  but  repeat  here  ni  behalf  of  these  deserving 
])eople  what  1  once  said  before  in  this  house,  in  a  defense  of 
the  early  pioneers  of  the  West,  that  if  there  is  any  class  of 
American  citizens  who  are  entitled  to  the  same  regard  from 
the  general  goxernment  that  is  bestOAved  upon  the  soldiers 
who  fought  the  battles  of  our  country,  it  is  the  hardy  pioneers 
of  the  frontier,  who  \enture  into  the  wilds,  defying  danger, 
subduing  the  plains,  establishing  villages  and  planting  upon 
the  confines  of  our  pul)lic  domain  the  beacon  lights  of  prog- 
ress and  civilization.  Rude  cabins,  uncultured  lands,  bridge- 
less  streams,  uncertain  mails,  isolated  schools,  distant  markets 
and  Indian  dangers,  are  a  few  of  the  many  troubles  that  have 
been  encountered  by  these  early  settlers  in  Xorth  Dakota. 
Separated  as  they  are  from  the  settlements  in  Southern  Da- 
kota b_\'  a  broad  belt  of  uninhabited  prairies  some  two  hun- 
dred miles  in  extent,  the  interests  of  the  two  sections  are  not 
at  all  identical. 

The  noithcrn  settlements  ha\ing  been  made  at  a  more 
recent  date,  they  have  but  a  small  representation  in  the  terri- 
torial legislature  in  comparison  with  the  older  and  more  pop- 
ulous counties  in  the  southern  ])art  of  the  territory-. 

Xotwithstanding  this  diversit\-  of  local  interest  between 
the  north  and  south,  no  unfriendly  feeling  exists  between  the 
l)eople  of  the  two  sections,  w  Inch  is  evidenced  bv  the  fact  that 
the  legislative  representatives  of  southern   Dakota  have  re- 


SPlClvClIES    I\    CONGRESS.  389 

peatedly  memorialized  congress  to  give  to  tlie  northern  sec- 
tion an  independent  territorial  government. 

The  proposed  line  of  division  wonld  se])arate  l)aki>ia  hy 
an  east  and  west  line  into  two  halves,  a])proximatcly  ;  cacli 
containing  ahout  seventy-live  thousand  scjuare  miles,  ccpial 
in  extent  to  one  of  the  largest  states  in  the  Union.  The  south 
half,  or  Dakota  i)roper,  contains  at  present  about  thirty  thou- 
sand inhabitants.  :mi(1  the  north  half,  which  this  bill  proposes 
to  create  into  the  new  territorx-  of  Pembina,  embraces  an  esti- 
mated population  of  ten  thotisand  ])eo])le.  Very  many  of  the 
territories  of  the  I'nited  States  ha\'e  been  organized  1)\'  con- 
gress with  less  than  half  this  numljer  of  inhabitants,  and  with 
not  a  mile  of  railroad  within  their  border. 

In  1861  the  territory  ofDakota  \vas  established  with  a  ])0])- 
ulation  of  a  little  o\'er  four  thousand  white  inhabitants,  and 
its  limits  covered  all  the  country  between  the  Red  River  and 
the  Rocky  mountains.  Since  then  the  march  of  western 
progress  has  been  such  that  in  i86.^  the  territor\-  of  Idaho 
was  created  by  congress  out  of  western  Dakota,  and  in  1864 
congress  also  organized  the  new  territory  of  Montana  otit  of 
wdiat  was  once  a  part  of  Dakota;  and  still  later,  in  1867,  the 
Union  Pacific  railroad  had  i)ushed  across  so'.itheastern  Da- 
kota, and  congress  aga'n  car\-ed  therefrom  the  new  territory 
of  Wyoming. 

Now.  sir,  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  com])any  has 
completed  one  hundred  and  ninety-five  miles  of  road  through 
northern  Dakota ;  and  the  people  therein  are  to-day  petition- 
ing this  congress  to  create  the  new  territory  of  Pembina  or 
North  Dakota. 

True,  the  plea  of  economy  is  raised  against  this  bill  on  the 
ground  that  when  the  government  is  so  financiall\-  cml)ar- 
rassed  as  at  i)resent.  when  the  United  States  treasury  is  being 
so  rapidly  de])leted,  when  the  receipts  of  the  national  rev- 
enues are  falling-  behind  our  expenditures,  it  is  no  time  to 
talk  of  setting  up  the  new  and  expensive  machinery  of  a  ter- 
ritorial go\'ernment.  thereby  involving  the  country  in  an  ad- 


390  SPEECHES    IN    CONGRESS. 

ditional  yearly  expense  of  some  $50,000.  But,  sir.  the  United 
States  government  should  not  make  treaties  and  purchase 
lands  of  the  Indians,  and  survey  them,  and  open  land  offices 
to  induce  settlers,  unless  it  is  ready  and  willing-  to  afford  its 
citizens  the  benefits  of  local  government  and  national  protec- 
tion. It  has  never  been  the  policy  of  this  government  to  take 
a  step  backward  whenever  it  has  once  set  out  in  the  march  ot 
progress  and  civilization. 

Sir,  the  total  expense  to  the  United  States,  incurred  dur- 
ing the  last  fiscal  year  for  sustaining  the  local  governments 
in  the  nine  organized  territories  of  the  Union,  amounted  to 
less  than  $300,000,  or  only  about  $33,000  each.  The  sessions 
of  the  territorial  legislatures  being,  by  law  of  congress,  made 
biennial,  the  annual  expense  thereof  to  the  government  is 
now  only  about  one-half  as  much  as  it  was  at  the  time  of  the 
organization  of  the  present  territories. 

Already  the  United  States  Government  has  expended 
nearly  $100,000  in  extending  the  surveys  of  the  public  lands 
for  settlement  over  the  proposed  new  territory.  Large  tracts 
have  been  subdivided  jnto  sections,  a  United  States  land  of- 
fice has  been  established  therein,  and  the  countrv  formally 
opened  to  immigration. 

The  resources  of  the  territory  are  as  yet  but  slightly  de- 
veloped, but  extensive  and  valuable  coal  fields  have  already 
been  discovered  west  of  the  Missouri  river,  within  convenient 
distance  of  the  Northern  Pacific  railroad,  at  Bismarck.  A 
very  large  proportion  of  the  country  consists  of  rich  and  roll- 
inp-  prairie  lands,  naturally  adapted  to  f^-rp.zinp-  Durnoses : 
while  the  valleys  of  the  territory  are  favorable  to  the  produc- 
tion of  wheat  and  the  smaller  grains.  The  cHmate  is  similar 
to  that  of  Northern  Minnesota  and  Wisconsin  in  the  same 
latitudes.  The  occasional  dryness  of  summer,  which  is  now 
attributed  to  some  portions  of  the  higher  prairies  in  these 
northern  latitudes,  will  rapidly  disappear  as  the  settlement  of 
the  territory  increases,  and  the  cultivated  fields  and  planted 
grove;  f  if  hr.mestead  settlers  dot  the  surface  of  the  country. 


SPIvIvCHF.S    IN    CONGRESS.  IC)\ 

The  day  has  passed,  sir.  when  it  can  be  safel\-  said  of  any 
portion  of  the  great  West  that  it  is  utterly  worthless.  The 
western  portion  of  the  present  rich  and  populous  state  of 
low^a  was  once  pronounced  bv  a  g-reat  man.  in  congress, 
to  be  a  poor  country  for  cultivation  and  settlement.  And 
the  members  of  this  house  can  well  remember  when,  but  a 
few  years  ago.  portions  of  the  present  state  of  Nebraska  and 
the  now  poptilous  territories  of  Colorado  nnd  I"''tah  were  de- 
scribed as  parts  of  the  js^reat  "American  Desert."  unfit  for 
cultivation  and  worthless  for  settlement.  To-day  one  of  the 
public  highways  of  the  nation  traverses  that  region  to  the 
western  ocean,  and  settlements  and  villages  have  sprung  up 
along  its  track.  The  climate  has  changed,  rains  are  more  fre- 
quent, the  soil  produces  abundantly,  young  groves  have 
sprung  up,  and  that  whole  region  is  becoming  an  inviting 
field  for  immigrants. 

The  proposed  new^  territory  of  Pembina  suffers  under  no 
such  natural  disadvantages  as  those  above  enumerated.  Its 
larger  streams  are  lined  with  ample  forests  of  oak,  ash  and 
Cottonwood ;  its  numerous  deep,  clear  lakes  in  the  northern 
part  are  skirted  with  beautiful  groves  and  stocked  with  the 
finest  of  tish ;  while  many  small  creeks  and  brooks  meander 
through  the  great  prairies,  which  are  in  turn  everywhere 
clothed  with  a  luxuriant  growth  cf  nutritious  grasses. 

No  single  act  of  congress,  appropriating  so  small  an 
amount  of  money,  would  so  far  conduce  to  the  development 
of  this  section  of  the  Northwest  as  the  passage  of  this  bill 
organizing  a  new^  territory  out  of  the  north  half  of  Dakota, 
at  an  annual  expense  of  less  than  $50,000  to  the  general  go'^- 
ernment.  Several  times  as  much  money  as  this  is  each  year 
appropriated  by  congress  to  clothe  and  feed  the  Indian  tribes 
located  upon  reservations  in  this  same  territory^  who,  instead 
of  developing  our  northwestern  resources  and  enriching  the 
nation  by  their  toil,  are  an  incubus  upon  civilization  and  prog- 
ress, and  a  constant  tax  upon  the  revenues  of  the  country. 

No  rigid  census  of  population  or  statistical  statements  of 
location  are  required  to  be  furnished  of  the  Indians,  as  of  the 


392  SI'KI-CIIKS    IX    coxr.Ri-.ss. 

white  settlers,  in  order  to  obtain  an  appropriation  from  con- 
g-ress.  Tt  is  mv  own  belief,  sir,  from  long  residence  in  the 
territory,  that,  were  a  tribal  census  made  of  all  the  wild  In- 
dians in  the  ("ireat  West,  there  \v(nild  he  found  a  i^-reat  re- 
duction in  the  number  that  is  annually  reported  for  the  char- 
ities of  the  government.  Millions  of  monev  could  be  saved 
bv  inforcing  a  thorough  system  of  classifying  or  listing  by 
name  the  Indian  population  of  each  tribe.  l)and  or  lodge,  after 
the  manner  of  enrolling  soldiers  in  companies  and  regiments. 
Everv  Indian  has  a  "local  habitation  and  a  name."  and  be- 
longs to  some  particular  band  of  his  tribe  or  nation,  and 
should  not  be  loosely  permitted  to  draw  his  rations  under  a 
half  dozen  assumed  names,  and  at  the  conncils  of  as  many 
different  bands. 

Let  the  national  government  do  eriual  and  deserved  ius- 
tice  by  both  Indians  and  settlers  in  the  West,  and  we  will 
hear  fewer  com])laints  of  frauds  and  Indian  troubles  upon 
our  western  borders. 

The  people  in  Northern  Dakota  have  struggled  with  the 
trials  and  misfortunes  of  a  pioneer  life,  and  have  steadily  ad- 
vanced in  cixilization  and  settlement,  until  thev  now  have 
their  railroads  and  telegraph  lines,  their  steam  navigation  and 
prosperous  villages,  their  public  schools  and  religious  insti- 
tutions. They  come  to  congress  through  their  petitions  of 
several  thousand  citizens,  asking  that  they  may  be  invested 
with  the  rights  and  privileges  of  local  laws  and  civil  govern- 
ment. They  are  intelligent,  law-abiding  and  industrious. 
Thev  have  planted  their  homes  permanently  in  tlv"  new  ter- 
rttory.  as  farmers  and  producers.  Unlike  a  changeable  min- 
ing population,  they  have  selected  their  homes  for  the  pur- 
poses of  agricultural  pursuits  and  abiding  industry.  All  they 
ask  is  that  congress  shall  deal  fairly  by  them,  and  throw 
around  them  the  shield  and  protection  of  local  laws  and  self- 
go\ernment,  which,  as  American  citizens,  they  have  a  right 
to  expect.  Give  them  this,  and  they  will  build  up  a  territory 
which  shall  be  an  honor  to  themselves  and  a  credit  to  the 
nation. 


AFTER   A  OUARTER  OF  A  CENTURY 


A  VISIT  TO 


TWO   CAPITALS: 
WASHINCiTON  AND  RICHMOND 


^AFTER  A  QUARTER  OF  A  CENTURY. 

A  VISIT  TO  TWO  CAPITALS. 


Washington,  D.  C,  Feb.  5,  1897. 

Wonderful  are  the  changes  that  have  been  made  here  in 
the  last  quarter  of  a  century.  As  I  walked  up  the  broad 
acres  of  granite  steps  to  the  great  capitol  to-day.  T  could  look 
off  south  toward  the  Potomac  river,  and  see  whole  squares 
of  beautiful  park,  which  in  mv  days  was  called  "swamooodle" 
lowlands,  and  was  given  over  to  the  use  of  frogs,  duck  ponds 
and  negroes.  Here  is  where  I  saw  my  first  negro  camp  meet- 
ing years  ago,  under  the  very  shadow  of  the  capitol,  among 
negro  huts,  under  some  southern  willow  trees.  At  these  re- 
vival meetings  they  used  to  get  religion  first  and  fight  with 
razors  afterwards.  T  have  seen  Indian  war  dances  and  ghost 
dances,  but  I  never  saw  anything  equal  to  the  contortions  of 
those  negroes  when  religion  got  its  grip  on  them  and  the 
"spirit"  bes'an  to  strike  ''n  I'ke  the  measles.  They  would 
dance  and  shout  and  leap  around  like  wild  men.  They  would 
climb  trees  and  telegraph  poles,  singing  and  praying,  rolling 
their  white  eyes  upward  and  calling  upon  the  Lord  to  open 
the  golden  gate  to  heaven  that  they  might  pass  straight  to 
glory.  Directly  across  the  street  from  here  is  now  the  United 
States  botanical  garden,  with  its  greenhouses,  where  the  vis- 
itor can  walk  for  hours  along  winding  pathways  of  overhang- 
ing green  and  the  sweet  fragrance  of  blooming  flowers. 
Just  below  this  the  old  canal  and  Tiber  creek  used  to  cross 
Pennsvlvania  avenue  under  a  crude  bridge,  and  wend  ofiF 
through  South  Washington,  among  the  low  southern  huts  of 

•After  a  lapse  of  UvfiUv-five  \fnrs,  the  tijitlior  again  rt-visils  thf  tailicr  scenes  of  his 
congiessioiial  experience;  and  gi\es  llie  following  .•-kcKlies  of  his  journey  aloiig.tlie 
historic  shores  of  the  early  Eastern  Knipire  of  America. 


396  AFTER   A   OrARTKR   OF  A   CKXTrRY. 

ihe  colored  population.  All  that  part  of  the  city  at  that  time, 
with  its  red  clay  soil  and  little  white  buildings,  resembled  an 
old  slave  plantation  of  bygone  years. 

The  \\'ashing"ton  monument  at  that  time  stood  an  un- 
finished column  of  stone,  desolate  and  alone,  on  the  bank  of 
the  Potomac,  south  of  the  White  House.  It  was  known  as 
the  "National  Disgrace."  having  remained  in  that  unfinished 
and  d'sgraceful  condition  for  over  twenty  years.  A  large 
swamp  occupied  the  ground  between  it  and  the  president's 
house,  which  has  since  been  transformed  into  charming  jDark 
grounds,  with  fountains  and  trees,  and  beautiful  walks  and 
drives.  The  monument  now  completed  stands  fi\e  himdred 
nnd  fifteen  feet  in  the  air.  the  highest  independent  stone 
monument  in  the  world.  Its  white  outlines  against  the  blue 
sky  can  be  seen  on  a  clear  day  from  the  city  of  Baltimore. 
An  inside  elevator  carries  visitors  to  the  top  every  thirty 
minutes,  and  a  winding  stairway  up  the  whole  distance  is 
open  at  all  times  to  persons  who  have  the  strength  and  cour- 
age to  climb  the  dizzy  height. 

I  stood  outside  looking  up  toward  the  top  until  my  neck 
got  stifi^.  and  I  then  told  my  wife  I  was  going  to  take  the  ele- 
vator and  go  to  the  tO])  of  that  thing,  inasmuch  as  I  was  out 
on  this  trip  to  see  the  passing  show,  even  if  it  did  take  me 
toward  hea\en.  She  warned  me  that  it  was  off  from  my 
route,  and  I  would  be  a  stranger  up  there,  for  the  angels 
never  saw  a  man  fron.i  Minnesota.  As  I  started  u])  she  told 
me  to  be  sure  and  come  down  again  and  not  stay  up  in  the 
sky  over  night,  as  I  would  be  out  of  place.  On  arriving  at 
the  pinnacle  floor,  five  hundred  feet  in  the  air.  1  felt  light- 
headed, but  the  guide  consoled  me  by  sa\ing  that  there  were 
hundreds  of  lightheads  over  under  yonder  dome,  where  con- 
gress was  in  session.  The  great  government  buildings  of 
the  city  seemed  to  lie  right  at  our  feet,  and  it  renn'ndcd  me  of 
wSatan  on  the  mount  when  he  ])romised  the  whole  earth  but 
didn't  own  a  foot  of  it.  But  the  distant  jianorama  reaching 
awav  for  long  miles  down  the  broad  Potomac,  with  its  black 


TWO   CAPIT.MS W  ASH  1  XCI'oN    AND    K' i  t   1 1  M  (  )  \  I  i.  V)/ 

coliinins  of  smoke  risinj^;  from  incomino-  steamers  ])lyiin;-  u\)()U 
o]3cn  waters  in  midwinter,  presented  to  mv  mind  a  picture 
wlvcli  I  will  alwaxs  remember.  1  remained  there  in  silent 
thoui^lU  for  some  minutes,  ;md  recalled  what  some  "Teat 
writer  has  said,  that  one  of  the  pleasures  of  the  next  world  will 
be  the  .qift  of  expanded  \-ision,  by  which  the  human  eye  can 
feast  on  the  glories  and  beauties  of  heaven  for  infinite  dis- 
tances. T  strained  my  eyes  ai^ain.  and  looked  off  toward 
Minnesota  to  ascertain  if  that  howling-  blizzard  which  I  left 
there  had  not  broken  loose  ao-ain.  and  was  tearing-  down  this 
way  to  blow  me  home. 

Looking  southward  eighteen  miles  can  be  seen  the  tomb 
of  \Vashington  at  Mount  Vernon,  where  rest  the  last  remains 
of  the  father  of  his  countrw  near  the  old  Washington  mansion 
on  his  A'^irginia  plantation.  I'urning  again  to  the  high  wood- 
ed hills  on  our  right,  the  old  homestead  of  General  Lee  comes 
to  ^•'ew.  Tliis  beautiful  old  southern  farm  has  been  turned 
into  a  national  cemetery,  witli  its  lumdreds  of  acres  of  white 
headstones  glistening  through  the  woods,  like  ghosts  of  the 
dead  soldiers.  In  another  direction,  in  full  view,  is  the  c.ty  of 
Annapolis,  capital  of  Maryland,  twenty  miles  distant. 

By  this  time  the  elevator  was  ready  to  descend,  and  down 
we  went.  When  we  struck  the  ground  I  looked  for  ni}-  wife, 
and  found  her  outside,  gazing  up,  expecting  to  see  me 
climbing-  down  on  the  outside  of  the  monument.  vShe  said  I 
was  getting  up  in  the  world  too  fast,  and  that  I  had  better 
stay  on  the  earth,  where  1  belonged. 

We  passed  on  and  visited  the  new  library  building  on  L'lip- 
itol  Hill,  which  is  just  being  completed,  and  is  said  to  be  the 
finest  building  in  the  world,  surpassing  in  elegant  finish  King- 
Solomon's  temple  or  the  cathedral  of  Rome.  The  moment 
you  enter  the  building  the  great  interior  dome,  with  its  ])ol- 
ished  pillars  of  marl)le  and  granite,  stands  before  you  like  a 
glittering  forest  of  silver.  The  most  artistic  work  of  the 
sculptor  and  the  painter  ha\e  been  drawn  upon  from  the  Old 
W'orld,  and  the  government  intends  that  in  elaborate  finish 


39^^  AFTER  A   QUARTER  OF   \  CENTURY. 

and  decoration  it  shall  surpass  any  public  building  of  modern 
times,  in  this  or  any  other  country.  What  struck  me  as  a 
new  departure  in  sculptured  work  was  the  life  colors  given  by 
artistic  painting  to  much  of  the  white  marble  statuary.  The 
frescoed  walls  and  great  dome  were  strikingly  beautiful  in 
this  respect,  and  mark  a  triumph  in  modern  architecture.  In 
this  building  I  found  my  little  old  history  of  Dakota,  filed 
away  in  the  library  thirty  years  ago. 

From  this  place  we  started  across  a  lovely  park  to  the 
capitol  building,  and  went  in  to  see  congress  make  laws  and 
talk  war.  Any  person  who  has  seen  a  state  legislature  in 
session  has  seen  all  there  is  of  congress  as  a  large  legislative 
body.  Very  few  men  have  ever  made  their  mark  here.  They 
may  be  great  men  at  home  in  their  o\\  n  state,  but  when  they 
come  here  and  mingle  in  a  congress  of  nearly  four  hundred 
men  equally  great,  they  are  lost  like  a  drop  in  the  ocean. 
The  leaders  of  congress  are  men  who  have  become  distin- 
guished and  honored  for  commanding  ability  through  long 
years  of  service  in  some  other  vocation.  During  my  first 
term  here,  twenty-five  years  ago.  I  learned  much  of  great  men 
by  studying  the  characteristics  of  the  leading  statesmen  then 
in  congress.  It  was  in  the  time  of  Garfield,  Blaine,  Butler, 
Banks,  Logan,  Sumner,  ConkHng,  Schurz  and  Alex.  Ste- 
vens. I  was  then  a  new  member ;  and  now,  looking  down  at 
my  old  seat  in  the  house,  it  carries  my  mind  back  over  the 
march  of  time  and  the  magic  growth  of  America.  At  that 
time  I  was  the  only  representative  in  congress  from  the  great 
"land  of  the  Dakotas,"  the  largest 'congressional  district  in 
the  United  States.  Speaker  Blaine  used  to  call  my  district 
the  "great  western  empire  of  green  prairies,  blue  skies  and 
red  men."  That  new  empire  is  now  divided  into  two  large 
states  which  are  entitled  to  eight  seats  in  congress.  In  the 
past  twenty  years,  nine  states  have  been  admitted  into  the 
Lmon,  Ironi  the  great  West,  and  we  are  now  reaching  across 
the  sea  for  Cuba  and,  like  Alexander,  weeping  because  there 
are  no  more  worlds  to  conquer. 


TWO  CAPITALS WASHINGTON  AND  RICHMOND.  399 

CONGRESS  COUNTING  THE  PRESIDENTIAL  VOTE. 

Washington,  D.  C,  Feb.  12,  1897. 
Wednesday  of  this  week  was  the  day  fixed  by  law  for  de- 
termining- and  declaring  the  result  of  the  presidential  election 
in  the  several  states.  Long  before  the  hour  arrived  for  open- 
ing the  returns,  large  crowds  of  people  had  gathered  at  the 
capitol.  They  filled  the  rotunda  and  corridors  and  extended 
down  the  outside  porticos,  out  onto  the  lawn  where  Coxey's 
army  was  warned  "to  keep  ofT  the  grass."  Many  excited 
men  struggled  for  admittance  as  though  they  thought  the 
election  was  not  yet  over  and  that  the  polls  were  to  be  opened 
again  by  congress. 

The  great  building  was  crowded  to  suffocation,  ajid  one 
lady  fainted,  but  she  did  not  fall  my  way.  There  was  but  a 
short  delay  before  Speaker  Reed  announced  the  approach  of 
the  United  States  senate.  The  great  central  doors  swung 
open,  the  members  of  the  house  arose  to  their  feet,  and  the 
senators  filed  in  by  twos,  preceded  by  an  escort  of  handsomely 
uniformed  capitol  police.  The  senators  were  conducted  to 
seats  reserved  for. them  nearly  in  front,  and  Vice  President 
Stevenson  ascended  the  niarb.e  .Sieps  and  took  a  seat  by  the 
side  of  Speaker  Reed.  With  one  loud  stroke  of  the  gavel  the 
vice  president  declared  both  houses  assembled  in  joint  session 
of  congress.  The  officials  of  the  senate  carried  two  polished 
cherry  boxes  containing  the  electoral  returns  of  all  the  states. 
The  boxes  were  about  the  size  of  small  bee  hives,  and  looked 
as  though  they  might  be  full  of  live  gold  bugs  or  silver  bugs. 
Four  tellers  were  appointed, — two  from  the  senate  and  two 
from  the  house, — after  which  the  vice  president  unlocked  the 
boxes  and  began  taking  out  large  sealed  envelopes  on  which 
were  marked  the  returns  of  each  state.  He  broke  the  .seals, 
one  at  a  time,  and  handed  the  contents  of  the  envelopes  to 
the  tellers,  who  counted  and  tabulated  the  electoral  votes  of 
the  states  in  alphabetical  order.  The  result  of  each  state 
was  then  read  aloud,  for  McKinley  or  Bryan  and  for  Hobart 
or  Sewall.     When  all  the  forty-five  states  had  been  counted 


400  AFTER  A   QUARTER  OF   A   CENTURY. 

and  \-erifie(l  tlie  \-ice  president  arose  and  announced  that  four 
hundred  and  forty-seven  electoral  votes  had  been  counted; 
that  two  hundred  and  twenty-four  were  necessarv  to  a  choice 
of  president :  that  William  McKinley  had  received  two  hun- 
dred and  se\enty-onc  and  that  William  J.  Bryan  had  received 
one  hundred  and  seventy-six.  and  that  therefore  \\'illiam  AIc- 
Kinley  had  been  duly  elected  president  of  the  I'nited  States 
for  tlie  term  of  four  years,  bet^inning;  Warch  4.  1897.  An  an- 
nouncement almost  similar  was  also  made  as  to  the  electoral 
votes  counted  for  Hobart  and  Sewall  for  Vice  President.  This 
ended  the  \er\-  interesting;'  and  impressive  ceremonv  of  declar- 
ing the  election  of  a  president  of  the  United  States,  and  with 
one  hea\-y  stroke  of  the  gav^l  the  senate  arose  and  departed 
for  rheir  chamber  in  the  other  end  of  the  capitol.  and  the 
house  resumed  its  dail\-  routine  business.  The  crowd  of 
spectators  soon  dispersed  and  scattered  off  through  the  park 
into  tiie  business  thoroughfares,  and  the  world  moved  on 
again  in  its  dailv  round. 

But  the  grand  and  final  ceremony  of  installing  McKinley 
as  president  is  yet  to  come  on  the  4th  of  March.  One  hun- 
dred thousand  people  are  expected  to  be  present,  and  the  in- 
auguration street  pageant  on  that  da\-  will  move  down  the 
broad  avenue  between  the  president's  house  and  the  capitol. 
in  grand  trimu])hal  march,  with  all  the  regal  i^oni])  and  splen- 
dor displayed  in  the  coronation  of  a  king  in  the  old  world, 
where  they  "baring  forth  the  royal  diadem  and  crown  him  king 
of  all."  As  this  occurs  onl}-  once  in  four  years,  and  as  we 
are  now  here,  and  have  such  eligible  cjuarters  for  reviewing 
this  national  display,  we  have  concluded  to  remain  and  see 
it  all  on  our  return  from  Richmond. 

A   \'ISIT  TO   SOUTH KRX    B.ATTLEFIKLDS. 

RiCTT^roxD,  A''.\..  Feb.  20.  1897. 
We  arrived  in  this  old  southern  city  after  a  i)lcasani  r"dc 
of  about  one  hundred  and  twent\-  miles  from   Washington 


A  BLOODLESS   DUEL   IN    OLD    KENTUCKY.-p.    422. 


TWO   CAITI'AI.S -\\  ASH  I  N(,T(  iX    AND    K  U  1 1  \l  (  i  V  I  >.  4''" 

o\-er  the  Kichnmnd  Sliort  Line  railroad.  Our  route  carried 
us  alou^"  down  the  \'ir_<;iuia  shore  of  (lie  I'otoniac.  while  far 
to  our  left,  across  the  liroad  sheet  of  water,  the  .^^a^\■land  hills 
rose  in  \iew.  Passing"  throui^h  Alexandria  and  n\er  the  e\'er- 
^reen  hills  tc  the  rig-ht  of  Mount  X'ernon,  we  could  discern 
Fort  AA'ashiui^-ton  on  a  hig'h  point  of  the  "Marxland  shore, 
wliere  a  puff  of  blue  smoke  shot  u])  and  a  monster  cannon 
threw  a  ten-inch  h'azinu,-  ball  fwc  miles  u])  the  ri\'er  at  a  tar- 
g"et  in  the  water.  The  secretary  of  war  and  aids  were  there 
that  da}-  to  witness  the  experimental  practice  of  this  new  de- 
vice of  death  in  war.  The  cannon  was  as  long-  and  as  larp^e 
as  a  saw  lo^-,  and  when  T  noticed  it  le\-eled  ag'ain  for  a  second 
shot,  apparentl)-  in  the  direction  of  our  train,  f  nervouslv 
])ushed  ahead  on  the  seat  so  that  we  could  L^et  out  of  ranjo'e 
before  they  fired  the  black  le\iathan.  As  we  s])ed  swiftly 
along-  we  entered  the  wooded  hig-hlands,  where  it  had  rained 
the  night  before  and  turned  to  icy  sleet,  which,  glittering-  in 
the  sunlight,  threw  a  bridal  veil  of  sih-ery  lace  and  golden 
tinsel  over  the  whole  scene.  Some  of  the  ice-tipped  e\-er- 
green  trees  on  the  hillside  glittered  in  the  sunlight  as  though 
studded  with  sparkling-  diamonds.  In  an  hour  this  beautifu) 
vision  had  vanished  before  the  warmth  of  the  sun's  penetrat- 
ing rays. 

vSpeeding-  on  we  ])assed  the  small  city  of  Ouantico,  on  the 
river.  Tt  wa;  near  this  point  that  Wilkes  Booth,  who  assas- 
sinated Lincoln,  attempted  tr>  cross  the  Potomac  at  night, 
from  Maryland  into  the  Virginia  w'oods.  The  countr\-  along 
this  part  of  our  route  seemed  to  be  barren  and  desolate.  The 
soil  is  bleached  and  sterile,  the  houses  few  and  far  between, 
and  about  all  they  can  raise  is  po])corn,  ])eanuts,  hoop  poles 
and  a  little  tobacco.  Many  of  the  houses  are  built  of  hewed 
logs,  w-ith  adobe  chimneys  running  up  the  outside.  .\t  nearly 
every  small  station,  lazy  looking  negroes  and  a  few  shiftless 
looking  white  men  stood  around  with  their  hands  in  their 
pockets.  But  as  we  ran  onward  toward  h'redericksburg. 
where  we  passed  one  of  the  great  l)attlefields  of  the  late  war. 
26 


402  AFTER  A   QUARTER  OF  A  CENTURV. 

the  appearance  of  the  country  and  the  people  be.s;-an  to  im- 
prove. We  saw  farmers  plowing  in  the  field,  and  the  culti- 
vated lands  were  divided  or  bounded  by  long,  straight  rows 
of  tall  evergreen  trees,  giving  the  whole  country  the  a])pear- 
ance  of  having  been  formerly  used  as  large  slave  plantations, 
but  now  partitioned  into  smaller  farms. 

We  were  now  speeding  on  rapidly  toward  Richmond  over 
a  smooth  and  excellent  roadbed,  and  through  a  much  more 
beautiful  country.  On  every  hand  we  could  see  evidences  of 
thrift  and  industry.  We  were  fast  approaching  the  charmed 
circle,  the  enchanted  pavilion,  as  it  were,  on  the  sacred  soil 
where  English  civilization  and  settlement  first  took  foothold 
in  this  country,  over  two  hundred  years  ago.  When  we 
reached  the  depot  and  drove  up  through  the  streets  of  the 
quaint  old  cit\'.  T  observed  groups  of  merry  children  playing 
in  the  parks,  and  boys  in  shirt  sleeves  playing  ball  on  the 
school  grounds.  The  air  was  mild  and  delightful.  We 
alighted  at  the  JefTerson  hotel,  and  were  received  with  special 
courtesy  by  reason  of  a  letter  of  introduction  from  Washing- 
ton. :      i    j     .,Ui 

Nearly  every  road  out  of  Richmond  leads  to  some  famous 
battlefield.  One  will  almost  imagine  that  he  can  hear  the  dis- 
tant and  dying  thunders  of  battle,  and  the  Southern  war  cry, 
or  "rebel  yell,"  where  thousands  rushed  to  death.  At  one  of 
the  greatest  battles  of  the  war,  near  here,  General  Grant 
lost  nine  thousand  men  in  one  hour  from  the  terrible 
charge  of  Gen.  Lee's  army.  Nearly  every  foot  of  ground 
within  five  miles  of  Richmond  has  been  trod  by  the  hosts  of 
battle.  The  fields  have  been  literally  plowed  with  cannon 
balls,  and  the  soil  blistered  with  the  fiery  flame  of  war. 

One  of  the  most  beautiful  places  we  visited  in  Richmond 
was  Hollywood  cemetery,  on  the  high  shore  land  of  the  James 
river,  overlooking  the  roaring,  rapid  waters,  and  affording  a 
charming  view  of  the  whole  city.  Here  in  this  silent  home 
of  the  dead  are  the  graves  of  Jeff  Davis,  Monroe  and  Tyler, 
besides  the  tombs  of  many  of  the  great  generals  of  the  South- 


TWO  CAPITALS — ^\^^sll I xcTox  \xi)  KTCiTMoxT).        403 

ern  army.  At  the  rii^-ht  is  a  confederate  monument  of  rough 
granite,  pyramid  shape,  one  hundred  feet  high  and  fifty  feet 
broad  at  the  base.  Around  it  are  the  graves  of  twelve  thou- 
sand Confederate  dead.  As  we  drove  up  in  front  of  this  great 
monument  a  poHte  Confederate  soldier  on  crutches  saluted 
us,  and  handed  my  wife  a  little  souvenir  rose  and  a  pamphlet 
history  of  the  "lost  cause,"  for  ten  cents.  It  alwavs  brings  a 
tinge  of  sadness  to  the  heart  of  mankind  to  see  anv  individual 
or  people  fail  in  a  struggle  which  enlists  the  finer  sensibilities 
of  life,  such  as  love  of  family,  devotion  to  countrv.  and  tender 
affection  for  the  departed  dead.  These  people  were  sincere 
in  their  belief  that  they  were  right  in  the  war.  and  the\'  be- 
lieve so  now,  and  while  they  bestov;  tears  and  flowers  on  the 
graves  of  their  dead,  they  do  it  allegoricallv.  with  a  flower 
in  one  hand  and  a  dagger  in  the  other — love  for  the  dead 
and  vengeance  for  the  enemy.  The  cemeteries  in  and  around 
Richmond  are  said  to  embrace  the  graves  of  one  hundred 
thousand  Confederate  dead,  Oakwood  alone  containing  six- 
teen thousand.  Richmond  is  truly  a  city  of  monumental 
beauty  spots  and  old  historic  land-marks,  and  is  called  the 
Capital  of  the  South. 

We  visited  the  old  St.  John's  church  where  the  revolu- 
tionary orator,  Patrick  Henry,  in  1775,  delivered  those 
famous  words,  "Give  me  liberty  or  give  me  death." 

An  old  stone  building,  the  first  in  Richmond,  at  one  time 
Washington's  headquarters,  still  stands  down  near  the  river, 
not  far  from  the  site  of  the  former  Libby  prison,  which  was 
removed  to  Chicago  during  the  world's  fair.  Up  near  the 
state  capitjl  are  seen  the  old  mansions  formerly  occupied  by 
Jefferson  Davis,  James  Monroe,  General  Lee,  Chief  Justice 
Marshall,  and  many  ancient  and  historic  churches,  including 
St.  Paul's  church,  in  which  Jeff  Davis  received  the  telegram 
from  General  Lee  one  Sunday  morning  that  the  Union  forces 
had  broken  through  the  lines  and  that  Richmond  must  fall. 
The  confederate  troops  and  a  large  portion  of  the  people 
evacuated  the  city  and  burned  the  bridges  behind  them.     A 


404  AFTER  A  QTARTER  OF  A  CKXTURY. 

large  section  of  the  cit\-  near  the  grain  an.d  cotton  exchanges 
was  also  destroyed  by  the  flames.  The  orreat  Southern  army, 
which  for  four  years  had  fought  with  a  braverv  seldom  known 
in  war.  fell  with  their  faces  to  the  foe.  half  starved,  poorly 
clad,  broken-hearted  and  defeated.  One  week  later  General 
Lee  surrendered,  and  the  cruel  war  was  over. 

On  our  return  drive  to  the  hotel  we  passed  by  the  district 
where  the  immense  iron  mills  and  tobacco  factories  were  in 
full  working  blast.  Here  were  manufactured  nearly  all  the 
ball  and  shell  used  by  the  Confederates  in  the  late  war.  Pass- 
ing along  up  the  crowded  business  thoroughfare,  we  met 
long  trains  of  teams  loaded  with  leaf  tobacco,  going  to  market 
like  grain  teams  in  ^Minnesota.  The  next  place  our  driver 
pulled  up  at  was  the  gate  of  the  state  i)enitentiary.  an  im- 
mense and  imposing  building,  surrounded  by  a  high  stone 
wall  and  handsome  grounds.  I  halted  our  driver  at  the  en- 
trance, and  told  him  I  was  not  looking  for  state  prisons  on 
this  trip,  and  that  T  drew  the  line  for  fun  and  adventure  at 
the  state  prison  gate.  The  sentinel  guard  said,  "Drive  in; 
you  will  be  perfectly  safe  in  there."  I  told  him  that  was  just 
what  I  was  afraid  of.  The  sentinel  smiled,  and  said  they  had 
some  great  men  in  there — that  some  of  the  country's  great- 
est men  were  in  the  grave}'ard,  some  in  state  prison,  and 
some  in  congress,  and  he  even  invited  me  to  call  again  dur- 
ing my  vacation.  I  had  always  heard  that  Richmond  was 
noted  for  its  polite  hospitality,  but  I  had  never  known  before 
that  they  invited  visitors  to  go  to  jail. 


RiciiMoxD.  \'a..  Feb.  26.  1897. 

We  have  become  so  interested  in  our  \isit  to  historic  old 
Richmond,  that  we  have  prolonged  our  sojourn  in  this  charm- 
ing Southern  citv.  that  we  might  see  more  of  its  manv  places 
of  intere.st. 

The  next  morning  we  visited  the  old  state  capitol,  built 
in  the  last  century,  and  located  in  a  hauflsome  iiark  of  ten 


Two  CAPIT.\[.S WASIIIXOTOX   AND    RlCUMOXl).  4O5 

acres,  where  ilie  .i;raiul  and  xcnerahle  trees  tower  ahove  the 
buil(hng-s.  Tame  squirrels  were  i)layfully  ski])])!!!!;-  amonj:^ 
the  branches,  and  the  .i^reen  sprini^-  ^Tass  on  the  hiwn  looked 
fresh  and  sweet  in  the  warm  snnlij^-ht.  Some  verv  stormy 
scenes  have  taken  place  in  this  old  cai)it(>l  huildin-'.  when  the 
life  of  this  cottntry  Inmg"  in  the  balance,  not  only  in  early  con- 
tinental times,  but  in  the  later  years  of  the  colonial  stru.i^-.t^le 
for  American  independence:  and  still  later  durin.^-  the  ci\-il 
war.  wlien  the  Confederate  cong-ress  assembled  here  to  i)ass 
laws,  and  provide  armies  for  destroying-  the  Union.  Tlie 
Washington  monument  of  the  vSouth  stands  in  the  middle  of 
capitol  ])ark.  surrounded  with  a  gronp  of  bronze  statues  of 
great  men  of  revolutionary  times.  One  of  these  is  Thomas 
Jefferson,  autlior  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence:  also, 
Patrick  HenrA',  the  orator  of  the  Revolution,  whose  impas- 
sioned elo(|uerce  for  "liberty  or  death"  hred  the  liearts  of 
the  colonial  i)atriots.  until  war  against  Kngland  was  declared 
by  the  thirteer  original  colonies.  In  the  same  i)ark  are  also 
statues  of  Henry  Clay  and  Stonewall  Jackson.  Ju  the  old 
capitol  on  these  grounds  have  assembled  some  of  the  most 
memorable  gatherings  of  great  men  in  bygone  years.  In  the 
great  convention  of  1830  were  ex-Presidents  Monroe  and 
Madison,  Chief  Justice  Marshall  and  John  Randolph.  It  is 
said  that  the  printed  journal  of  that  convention  and  the  Bible 
contain  more  good  law  than  all  the  other  books  in  the  world. 

Not  far  from  the  capitol  grounds  is  the  site  of  the  old 
Richmond  theater,  which  was  destroyed  by  fire  on  Christmas 
night,  in  181 1,  wherein  sixty  lives  were  lost,  including  the 
srovernor  of  the  state,  a  United  States  Senator,  and  manv 
prominent  people  of  the  city.  As  a  memorial  to  the  dead, 
Monumental  Church  (Episcopal)  has  been  erected  on  the 
spot  where  the  dread  calamity  occurred  which  carried  grief 
into  so  many  homes.  A  centograph  in  tlie  i)ortic()  records 
the  names  of  the  unfortunate  victims. 

From  here  we  again  drove  over  onto  "Libbv  Hill."  where 
a   high   monument   has   been   erected   overlook'ng  the  city. 


406  AFTER  A  QUARTER  OE  A  CENTURY. 

The  tall  shaft,  with  its  pinnacle,  is  modeled,  on  a  reduced 
scale,  from  'he  antique  "Pompey's  Pillar,"  near  Alexandria, 
Egypt.  Near  this  spot  is  the  historic  little  creek  called 
"Bloody  Run."  where  one  of  the  first  Indian  battles  was 
fought  over  two  centuries  ago.  Below  this  hill  is  the  first 
bridge  built  across  the  James  river  in  the  last  century,  and 
across  which  British  troops  marched  to  and  fro  in  early  colo- 
nial days.  From  the  summit  of  "Libby  Hill"  a  glorious  pano- 
rama of  hill  and  dale  and  river  and  city,  is  unrolled  like  a 
map  to  the  view.  As  I  stood  here,  where  American  civiliza- 
tion first  set  foot  in  the  new  world  less  than  two  centuries 
ago,  I  involuntarily  turned  my  thoughts  to  the  Great  West, 
and  in  my  mind's  eye  could  see  the  American  flag  floating  to- 
day from  every  hilltop,  mountain  and  plain  from  the  Atlantic 
to  the  blue  Pacific.  ''AA'estward  the  star  of  empire  takes  its 
way" — 

■"We  hear  the  tread  of  pioneers, 

Of  nations  jet  to  be, 
The  first  low  wash  of  waves  where  soon 
Shall  roll  a  hnman  sea." 

There  is  a  spell  comes  over  one  while  standing  within  the 
circle  of  these  hallowed  grounds.  Thackeray  and  Dickens 
have  both  described  Richmond  as  a  city  of  enchanting  natural 
beauty,  situated,  like  Rome,  on  the  seven  hills  overlooking 
the  foaming-  water  of  the  Tames  river  rai)ids.  Descending  the 
hill  toward  the  river,  we  visited  the  grounds  where  once  stood 
the  old  Libby  prison  dtu'ing  the  late  war,  in  which  our  im- 
prisoned soldaers  underwent  such  inhuman  suffering  and 
misery.  We  were  shown  the  place  in  the  street  tinder 
which  sixtv  companies  tunneled  with  knives,  forks  and  tin 
cans,  and  escaped  from  j^rison  in  the  storm  and  darkness  of 
night.  This  is  the  old  part  of  the  city,  and  is  now  occu- 
pied by  wholesale  houses  and  manufacturing'  plants.  It  is  in- 
teresting to  enter  the  tobacco  factories  and  witness  a  thous- 
and or  more  negroes  going  through  the  different  processes 
of  manufacturlncr  the  raw  leaf  inlo  rhcwinc;-  tobacco,  cigars. 


TWO  CAPITALS WASHINGTON  AND  RICHMOXD.  4O7 

cigarettes  and  snuff.  The  negroes  work  in  long  rows,  sing- 
ing as  they  work,  in  old  plantation  melody,  the  songs  of  "Old 
Virgirny."  and  "The  Old  Kentucky  Home." 

We  passed  out  of  here  into  the  great  iron  factories  which 
supplied  the  rebel  army  with  arms  and  ammunition  for  the 
late  war.  They  were  turning  out  cannon  balls,  shells,  bullets, 
shot,  arms  and  powder  with  wonderful  mechanism.  Every- 
thing around  us  was  red  with  heat  and  fire,  and  red  melted 
iron  was  running  around  us  like  hot  molasses.  One  of  the 
gunners  said  he  would  make  me  a  red-hot  revolver  if  T  would 
carry  it  home  to  Mi-mesota.  T  told  him  I  was  just  as  near 
hell  now  as  I  cared  to  get,  and  T  had  struck  the  wrong  place 
to  spend  a  vacation  for  pleasure. 

We  drove  up  along  the  street  and  passed  the  famous 
Church  of  Zion,  where  the  noted  colored  preacher.  Rev.  John 
Jasper,  has  for  years  expounded  the  doctrine  that  "de  sun  do 
move."  and  that  the  earth  is  square  and  stationary.  He 
quotes  the  Bible  to  prove  that  the  "four  corners  of  the  earth" 
is  evidence  that  this  world  is  not  round,  but  that  it  is  the 
sun  that  is  round  and  moves,  and  rises  in  the  east  and  sets 
in  the  west.  He  finds  evidence  in  the  Bible  that  the  sun  was. 
on  one  great  occasion,  commanded  to  stand  still  in  the  heav- 
ens. Strange  to  say.  his  sermons  on  each  Sunday  attract 
large  audiences  of  both  black  and  white  people,  and  the 
thousands  of  his  hearers  have  been  led  to  believe  that  his 
plain  and  simple  doctrine  is  correct — in  that  it  a])peals  to 
their  sense  of  actually  seeing  the  sun  rise  and  set  each  day, 
while  the  earth  remains  still  and  motionless.  They  claim  that 
if  the  earth  was  rolhng  around  loose  "de  niggers  would  tum- 
ble over  each  odder."  and  that  the  rivers  would  run  up  hill 
sometimes,  and  that  the  church  steeples  would  topple  over 
and  kill  "de  sinners,"  and  that  some  of  the  church  deacons 
would  stand  on  their  heads,  as  they  do  at  camp  meetings. 
After  looking  up  to  see  if  the  church  steeple  was  falling,  we 
left  this  place  and  drove  along  past  an  old  mansion  which 
was  pointed  out  as  the  home  of  the  poet  and  genius  Edgar 


408  AFTER  A   QUARTER  OF  A  CE-VTURV. 

Allan  Poe  in  the  olden  time.  It  is  said  also  that  Harriet 
Beecher  Stowe,  in  writing  "Uncle  Tom's  Cabin."  spent  much 
of  her  time  in  this  old  slave  city,  and  drew  many  of  her  char- 
acters from  life  along  the  James  river  between  Richmond  and 
Norfolk. 

The  next  day  we  drove  out  along  the  beautiful  i)ike  roads 
to  many  of  the  famous  battlefields,  seven  of  which  are  within 
a  few  miles  of  Richmond.  \\'e  passed  the  new  Lee  monu- 
ment in  an  open  park,  erected  a  few  years  ago  and  dedicated 
in  the  presence  of  the  largest  assembly  of  peojile  ever  seen 
in  the  citw  The\'  came  from  e\ery  state  in  the  South,  and 
blocked  the  streets  for  miles.  Richmond  was  proud  in  her 
glorv.  having  grown  to  a  city  of  one  hundred  thousand  in- 
habitants since  the  close  of  the  war.  at  which  time  she  was 
left  bankrupt  and  a  large  part  of  her  business  districts  in 
ashes.  At  one  of  the  battle  grounds  which  we  visited,  over 
one  hundred  thousand  soldiers  were  engaged  in  deadly  con- 
flic*:  under  Lee  and  ^^fcClellan.  and  twelve  thousand  dead 
and  wounded  were  carried  from  the  field.  But  the  most  dis- 
astrous loss  of  the  war  was  the  one  at  Cold  Harbor,  in  1864, 
seven  miles  out.  where  General  ( xrant  assaulted  General  Lee's 
forces,  and  was  repulsed  with  terrible  slaughter,  losing 
nine  thousand  men  in  sixty  minutes.  A  cold  shudder  ran 
over  me  as  I  stepped  cautiously  over  this  field  of  carnage. 
Beneath  my  feet  the  reddish  soil  seemed  to  retain  the  bloody 
stains  of  war.  .  \\'e  next  drove  over  to  the  spot  where  the 
Confederate  cavalry  leader.  General  Stuart,  was  killed  in  bat- 
tle at  the  head  of  three  thousand  men.  while  holding  at  bay 
General  Sheridan  with  his  ten  thousand  cavalrv.  His  death 
was  mourned  by  the  Southern  people  as  the  man  who  gave 
his  life  to  save  Richmond,  and  when  the  war  closed  with  the 
confederate  army,  bowed  down  in  defeat  and  sin-render,  the 
refrain  went  up  that  "all  was  lost  save  honor."  Our  visit 
to  the'^e  old  fields  of  war  was  extremely  interesting  in  study, 
and  although  the  day  was  beautiful  there  was  a  shadow  of 
sadness    which    seemed    to    follow    us.      We    turned,  toward 


Two  CAPITALS WASH  I  \C,T().\    AND    RICIIMOXD.  409 

e\'enino-  over  a  smootli  old  Gallic  road,  lIirou.i;h  a  landscape 
country  of  snr])assinL;-  heauly,  and  we  were  trulv  lliankful  to 
think  we  had  heen  to  the  field  of  hallle  and  escai)e(l  without 
a  wound. 


INAUGURATION   OF   PRESIDKNT  McKTNLEY. 

Washington,  D.  C,  March  5,  1897. 

On  ovu"  return  from  Richmond  last  week  we  found  the 
streets  and  avenues  of  Washington  wearing'  (|uite  a  gala  ap- 
pearance. Work  had  heen  commenced  on  the  rexiewing 
stands  for  renting  seats  to  the  thousands  of  people  w  ho  were 
expected  to  cong^regate  along  the  line  of  march  on  inaugura- 
tion day.  By  Monday  of  this  week  the  broad  axenue  leading 
frcMii  the  president's  white  lionse  to  the  capitol  was  alix-e  with 
workmen  decorating-  the  buildings  and  ornamenting  the  seat- 
ing stands  with  waving  flags,  festoons,  and  arches.  Miles  of 
these  amphitheater  seats  have  been  erected  along  both  sides 
of  the  broad  a\enue,  and  many  of  them  are  really  ornamental 
to  the  street,  instead  of  rough  board  stands  as  on  former  oc- 
casions. They  are  roofed  overhead,  seated  with  chairs  and 
made  attractixe  with  bracket  work  in  front,  and  handsome 
pillars  or  posts  entwined  with  wreaths  of  evergreen,  and  red, 
white  and  blue  l)unting.  The  whole  is  surmounted  by  hun- 
dreds of  little  fluttering  ilags.  The  price  for  a  single  chair 
t3n  inauguration  day  ranges  from  one  dollar  to  seven  dollars 
for  each  person,  and  they  expect  to  aconnnodate  fiftv  thous- 
and people,  besides  those  wdio  rent  windows.  Windows 
along  the  avenue  rent  at  tw-enty-tive  to  fifty  dollars  each,  and 
one  hotel  room  with  two  windows  conmianded  $100  on 
March  4. 

As  early  as  Monday  night  over  ten  thousand  strangers 
had  arrived  in  the  city,  and  on  Tuesday,  the  w-eather  being 
warm  and  pleasant,  fully  twenty  thousand  more  people  came 
in  on  all  the  railroads.     Tn  the  forenoon  President-elect  Mc- 


41 0  AFTER  A  QUARTER  OF  A  CENTURY. 

Kinley  and  wife  and  ])arty  arrived,  and  the  streets  were  black 
with  people  foi  whole  blocks  around  the  depot.  We  had  an 
excellent  \ne\v  from  onr  windows,  which  front  on  the  avenue 
and  diag^onally  across  to  the  depot,  where  he  was  met  by  the 
reception  committee.  This  is  the  depot  where  President  Gar- 
field was  shot  down  by  the  assassin  Guiteaii,  near  the  door 
of  the  ladies'  sitting-  room.  Mr.  McKinlev  came  out  of  the 
same  door  Tuesday  and  took  his  carriage  amid  the  shouts 
of  a  great  multitude,  and  was  driven,  up  the  avenue  with 
Mrs.  McKinley  by  his  side,  she  carrying  an  immense  bouquet 
of  flowers  as  large  as  a  rose  bush.  Wr.  McKinley  looked 
the  picture  of  health  and  peace  of  mind,  and  was  kept  busy 
raising  his  hat  and  baring  his  head  in  the  balmv  air.  acknowl- 
edging the  cheers  of  welcome  from  the  people. 

It  was  Cleveland's  public  reception  day  at  the  president's 
home,  and  although  it  was  raining  the  streets  were  crowded 
with  .stylish  carriages,  and  there  was  a  long  line  of  people, 
with  umbrellas  over  their  heads,  extending-  two  blocks  down 
the  a\  enue.  waitings  to  get  into  the  AVhite  House  parlors,  and 
shake  hands  with  Cleveland  for  the  last  time,  and  leave  mud 
on  his  carpet.  The  old  adage  remains  true,  that  fools  are  not 
all  dead  yet,  and  I  verily  believe  that  the  yearly  crop  of  fools 
is  on  the  increase  in  this  country.  But  many  of  inauguration 
visitors  of  the  great  crowds  here  betake  themselves  to  seeing 
the  interesting  sights  of  the  capitol  city,  and  all  the  steam- 
boats and  electric  car  lines  are  filled  with  visitors  to  the  gov- 
ernment buildings,  parks  and  museums,  all  free  to  the  public. 
For  several  miles  in  all  directions  around  \\'ashing-ton  com- 
fortable electric  cars  run  out  into  the  beautiful  suburban 
country,  passing  charming  villas  and  wooded  parks  and  re- 
sorts of  pleasure.  When  I  first  came  here  twenty-six  years 
ago,  that  long-headed  financier.  Senator  Sherman,  purchased 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  only  one  mile  north  of 
the  president's  house,  for  one  hundred  thousand  dollars. 
The  city  has  grown  out  onto  it,  and  he  has  sold  ofT  about  one- 
fourth  of  it  for  five  times  what  he  paid  for  all  of  it,  and  he 
holds  the  balance  to  be  worth  a  nu'lhV»n  dollars. 


TWO  CAPITALS WASHINGTON  AND   RICHMOND.  4'  ' 

GRAND  INAUGURAL  STRKKT  PAGEANT. 

On  Thursday,  inauguration  day,  the  morning  sun  rose 
bright  and  beautiful ;  not  a  cloud  fleked  the  blue  sky  and  the 
air  was  warm  and  springlike.  Fully  one  hundred  thousand 
visitors  were  early  on  the  streets.  The  broad  avenue  for 
miles  in  length  looked  like  a  panoramic  vista  of  waving  flags 
and  happy  ^people.  Long  trains  of  cars  were  still  rolling  into 
the  depot  and  unloading  additional  thousands  to  swell  the 
multitude.  Military  companies  and  civic  clubs  came  march- 
ing in  from  side  streets,  with  brass  bands,  waving  banners 
and  dazzling  uniforms.  The  army  and  navy,  with  gleaming 
bayonets  and  flashing  sabres,  and  mounted  artillery,  made 
the  scene  resemble  a  call  to  arms,  "shouting  the  battle  cry 
of  freedom,"  "rally  round  the  flag  boys."  and  "we  are  com- 
ing, Father  Lincoln,  three  hundred  thousand  more."  It 
really  looked  as  though  L^ncle  v'^^am  was  preparing  to  declare 
war  again  right  then  and  there,  and  blow  the  island  of  Cuba 
out  of  the  sea.  By  eleven  o'clock  sharp  the  advance  guard 
of  the  first  parade  from  the  White  House  to  the  capitol  ap- 
peared in  view,  escorting  the  outgoing  and  incoming"  presi- 
dents, Cleveland  and  McKinley.  They  were  seated  side  by 
side,  in  a  handsome  carriage  drawn  by  a  stylish  team,  and 
preceded  by  the  famous  black  horse  Troop  A,  of  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  and  followed  by  the  inaugural  parade  with  music  and 
banners.  As  they  passed  along  down  the  line  the  whole  street 
for  a  mile  was  enlivened  b}^  the  shouts  of  the  multitude,  with 
waving  of  flags  and  white  liandkerchiefs.  McKinley  was 
constantly  raising  his  hat  and  bowing"  to  the  people,  but 
Cleveland  kept  his  hat  square  on  his  head,  and  looked  like  a 
man  of  iron  will  and  independence,  as  much  as  to  say,  "The 

people  be  d d."     In  less  than  an  hour  they  arrived  at  the 

capitol,  and  McKinley  vv'as  ivvorn  in  and  delivered  his  mes- 
sage as  the  new  president  of  the  United  States  in  the  presence 
of  fifty  thousand  people.  The  great  parade  of  the  day  now 
took  up  its  march  in  escorting  the  new  president  back  to  his 
place  in  the  president's  house,  where  he  is  to  assume  the 
reins  of  this  irovernment  for  the  next  four  vears.     The  return 


412  AFTER   A   Ol'ARTKR  OF  A  CHXTIRV. 

parade  was  four  miles  in  len.^^tli,  and  had  nearly  one  hundred 
bands  of  music  in  line,  and  was  nearly  three  hours  in  passing- 
our  window.  The  cheers  of  the  peo])le  broke  forth  again  as 
McKinley  and  Cleveland  i^assed  along  the  crowded  thor- 
oughfare. Cleveland's  hat  remained  firm  on  his  head,  and 
he  looked  like  a  man  who  was  leaving  his  office  with  nothing 
to  take  with  him  but  kicks  from  the  ]:)eople,  and  rjieumatism 
in  his  legs.  AfcKinley  was  continually  bowing  and  smiling. 
as  though  about  to  enter  upon  a  pathway  of  roses  to  the  tem- 
ple of  fame.  He  has  a  hard  and  thankless  task  before  him  ; 
he  has  received  his  honors,  bui  his  troubles  are  to  come. 

Tn  the  evening  the  city  was  illuminated,  and  search  lights 
thrown  along'  the  streets  and  over  the  capitol  dome  and 
\\'ashington  monument,  making  it  as  I'ght  as  day.  The  fire- 
works display  at  the  monumerit  grounds  surpassed  anything 
ever  seen  in  this  countrv.  and  brought  out  many  new  and 
marvelous  surprises.  Rockets  and  bombs  were  thrown  six 
hundred  feet  in  the  air.  bursting  far  above  the  top  of  the  mon- 
ument and,  falling  like  a  storm  of  fier\-  hail,  en\eloi)ed  the 
whole  scene  in  a  conflagration  of  red  and  l)lue  flame,  and  the 
noise  and  smoke  of  battle.  1  he  tall  white  monument  seemed 
wrapped  in  fire  as  it  reared  its  lofty  summit  like  a  pillar  of 
flame  in  the  sky. 

The  inauguration  ball  last  evening  was  the  climax  of  the 
inaugural  day  ceremonies.  The  great  court  of  the  pension 
building  was  decorated  and  illuminated  in  a  manner  which 
made  it  beautiful  beyond  description.  It  was  a  veritable  gar- 
den of  the  gods,  an  enchanting  pavilion  of  flowers,  colored 
lights  and  glistening  costumes.  The  crowd  was  so  large  that 
dancing  did  not  begin  till  after  ten  o'clock.  President  iNTc- 
Kinley  remained  but  a  half  hour.  General  iNIiles  was  nearly 
overcome  in  the  crush  of  the  mob.  as  you  might  call  it,  in  his 
efforts  to  conduct  the  president  and  wife  to  their  assigned 
position.  Tt  was  a  public  or  people's  ball,  and  anvone  with 
five  dollars  and  a  decent  suit  of  clothes  can  attend  any  of 
these  inaugural  balls.  The  whole  scene  in  the  dancing  pa- 
\ilion  was  a  beautiful  ending'  of  a  "reat  dav. 


TWO  CAl'ITALS WASTIIXGTOX  AXIJ   RICIIMOXD.  413 

HISTORIC  SCl'.NKS  OF  EARL^'   lOtPIRF., 

Or,i)  F'oix'r  Comi'okt.  \'a..  ATarcli  13.  1897. 
A  sail  down  llie  old  historic  janics  river  to  tlie  sea  at 
this  season  of  the  year  is  a  ride  of  xaried  interest  and  pleasure 
to  a  Northerner.  r)n  the  fast  and  handsome  steamer  Poca- 
hontas we  procured  passai^e.  and  were  furnished  with  a 
charming-  little  state  room  with  its  broad  windows  overlook- 
in<4'  the  scenic  i)anorama  of  shore  and  stream.  As  the  steam- 
er moved  out  and  on,  to  the  strains  of  a  band  of  music,  we 
passed  many  of  the  old  battlefields  whose  ruined  fortifica- 
tions can  still  be  seen  from  the  boat.  We  made  the  run 
throu.£i"h  the  famous  "Dutch  (^lap."  commenced  by  ("leneral 
Butler  during-  the  war.  by  means  of  which  shor'  cut  off  sev- 
eral miles  of  the  winding-  river  were  avoided,  and  our  war- 
ships less  exposed  to  a  long-  shore  line  of  Confederate  batter- 
ies. On  a  high  wooded  shore  we  passed  the  i?roMnds  of  the 
Afalvern  Hill  battlefield,  where  ninet}'  thousand  I'nion  troops 
under  McClellan  were  repulsed  and  driven  back  bv  fifty  thou- 
sand Confederates.  It  was  one  of  the  most  bloody  battles  of 
the  war,  and  the  swamps  and  roads  were  filled  at  the  time  with 
the  dead  and  wounded  of  both  armies.  General  McClellan 
soon  after  withdrew  his  forces  to  Harrison's  Landing,  which 
we  passed  further  down  the  stream.  This  place  was  a  gTaiid 
rendevouz  during  the  war,  and  at  times  more  than  six  hun- 
dred vessels  of  war  were  anchored  in  the  stream,  while  the 
shores  for  miles  were  covered  by  the  cam])S  of  Union  soldiers. 
Below  here  pontoon  bridges  were  built  and  130,000  soldiers 
crossed  over  in  two  days.  This  old  ])lace  is  one  of  a  long 
line  of  landed  estates  which  Ijorder  the  ri\er,  and  in  the  ])ast 
century  marked  the  abodes  of  rich  and  courtl\-  old  Virginia 
families.  Their  plantations  were  large  and  their  sUu'es  were 
numerous,  while  their  palatial  old  mansions  ^\•hich  adorn  the 
beautiful  hillsides,  were  the  scenes  of  hospitalitv  and  gayety 
in  early  colonial  days.  Many  old  English  estates  and  home- 
steads are  also  seen  along  the  ri\'er,  dating  back  to  the  days 
wdien  this  country  was  under  British  control.      .\s  we  ]iassed 


414  AFTER  A  QUARTER  OF  A  CE-XTURY. 

on  down  stream  we  came  in  sight  of  the  old  ruins  of  James- 
town, the  site  of  the  first  English  settlement  in  the  United 
States  over  two  hundred  }ears  ago.  ^J'he  crumbling  walls 
of  the  first  church  in  America  are  still  standing  in  a  copse  of 
trees  in  plain  view  from  the  boat,  and  a  few  broken  and  moss- 
covered  tombstones  are  seen  as  the  only  mark  of  the  humble 
birthplace  of  the  greatest  nation  on  earth.  At  this  place  the 
river  begins  to  expand  into  a  width  of  miles,  and  the  high 
tide  of  the  salt  sea  water  is  noticeable.  The  hillsides  and 
sloping  river  shores  are  clad  in  refreshing  verdure,  and  for 
miles  away  on  either  hand  stretch  fragrant  fields  all  dressed  in 
living  green.  The  landscape  becomes  a  veritable  fairjdand 
under  the  magic  wand  of  the  Southern  sun.  and  the  balmy 
breath  of  the  salt  sea  air.  The  whole  world  seemed  like  a 
dreamland  as  we  floated  along  toward  the  gatewav  to  the 
deep  and  dark  blue  ocean. 

Just  then  we  walked  out  on  deck  at  a  little  town  where 
the  boat  had  landed,  and  witnessed  some  things  that  made  us 
know  we  were  still  on  earth.  AMiile  the  boat  was  taking  on 
and  putting  off  freight  the  curious  types  of  Virginia  people 
came  down  to  the  wharf.  The  old  style  Southern  gentleman 
was  there,  with  his  slouch  hat,  long  whiskers  and  lordly  bear- 
ing. Then  there  Avas  the  poorer  class  of  Southern  whites, 
who  believe  in  working  one  day  and  resting  six,  instead  of 
doing  as  the  Bible  teaches  them,  to  work  six  days  and  rest 
the  seventh.  Out  of  fourteen  white  men  at  the  wharf  I 
counted  twelve  with  both  hands  in  their  pockets.  Besides 
these  the  landing  was  black  with  negroes,  who  are  as  lazy 
and  jolly  as  wharf  rats.  One  black  fat  kid  gnawing  a  pork 
leg  and  rolling  his  white  eyes,  looked  up  at  me  with  a  satis- 
fied smile,  as  much  as  to  say  he  had  the  world  by  the  leg  and 
was  as  rich  as  V'anderbilt  and  twice  as  happy.  I  noticed  that 
the  seat  of  his  pants  looked  like  the  map  of  Mexico,  with  its 
numerous  vari-colored  patches,  and  a  place  that  needed  an- 
other one. 

This  whole  country  seemed  like  a  dead  and  dreamy  land 
to  us,  and  our  (|uict  and  peaceful  ride  down  this  old  ancestral 


two  Capitals — Washington  and  Richmond.       415 

stream  pictured  to  my  mind  the  ancient  stories  of  sailing 
down  the  Nile  through  Egypt.  The  country  along  the  James 
is  a  land  of  legendary  and  lore.  Its  greatness  and  glory 
have  departed,  while  along  its  historic  shores  rest  the  bones 
and  linger  the  memories  of  past  generations.  The  march  of 
empire,  of  commerce,  of  wealth  and  population,  has  carried 
the  banners  of  progress  and  civilization  into  the  Great  West. 

For  some  thirty  miles  before  reaching  the  sea  my  atten- 
tion was  drawn  to  whole  fleets  of  boats,  large  and  small, 
stretching  for  miles  on  both  sides  of  the  stream,  and  was  in- 
formed that  they  were  oyster  boats  and  fishing  vessels.  They 
very  much  resembled  the  harvesting  scenes  in  our  great  grain 
fields  in  Minnesota,  with  reapers  and  binders,  and  stacking 
and  threshing.  At  this  point  on  our  journev  the  river  begins 
to  lose  itself  in  the  broad  expanse  of  water,  ^and  the  distant 
shorelands  can  only  be  dimly  seen,  resembling  l)lue  zones 
stretching  ribbon-like  along  the  horizon  between  sea  and 
sky.  Looking  ocean  ward  we  could  discern  the  cities  of  New- 
port News,  Norfolk  and  Old  Point  Comfort,  lifting  their 
spires  above  the  distant  confines  of  the  sea. 

In  half  an  hour's  time  we  had  passed  down  the  Hampton 
Roads  channel  way  and  landed  at  Old  Point  Comfort,  in 
front  of  the  Hygeia  hotel,  by  the  sea.  The  largest  military 
fort  in  the  country,  Old  Fortress  Monroe,  is  located  a  few 
squares  from  the  hotel,  where  the  daily  drills  and  dress  pa- 
rades, with  martial  music  and  gay  uniforms,  attract  many  vis- 
itors. Here  is  where  Jefferson  Davis  was  imprisoned  after 
the  war.  The  morning  after  reaching  here  it  was  as  balmy 
and  bright  as  May,  and  I  went  out  early  for  one  of  my  long 
Minnesota  walks.  I  started  out  to  take  the  fort,  or  take  it 
in,  and  after  passing  a  number  of  sentinels  I  passed  into  the 
grand  parade  ground  and  walked  around  on  green  grass  and 
sweet  clover.  Many  of  the  native  trees  were  green,  and  oth- 
ers were  budding  freely,  while  the  drooping  or  weeping  wil- 
low trees  were  as  verdant  and  lovely  as  in  June  in  Minnesota. 
The  fort  is  inclosed,  like  old  Jerusalem,  with  a  wall  some  fifty 


4l6  AFTICR   A    OrVRTER  Ol*   A   CENTURY. 

feet  high  and  thirtv  feet  wide,  and  the  wliole  surmounted  with 
lono-  rows  of  monster  cannon,  commanding  the  a])proach 
from  the  se^i.  The  ocean  view  from  this  parapet  is  grand  be- 
yond descri])tion.  The  waters  were  dotted  with  great  war 
vessels  and  sliijjs  of  commerce,  while  far  out  on  the  bhie 
waves,  whicli  seemed  rolHng  ag-ainst  the  sky.  could  be  seen 
fleets  of  white  sail  vessels  flitling  along  the  bending  heavens 
like  phantom  spirits.  I  stood  spelll)ound.  pondering  over  the 
mvsteries  of  the  deep  and  the  unsolved  eternity  of  the  future 
world. 

In  the  afternoon  we  drove  out  and  visited  the  Indian 
training  schools  at  Hampton,  which  were  exceedingly  inter- 
esting and  instructive,  as  showing  the  remarkal^le  progress 
made  bv  the  aborigines  in  niechanics.  industrv  and  education. 
We  also  visited  the  soldiers"  home,  a  most  beautiful  spot, 
where  six  thou.sand  veterans  are  buried,  and  ^t  the  home 
builduig  there  are  four  thousand  n.iore  old  and  tottering  gray 
haired  soldiers  awaiting  the  sunnnons  of  the  last  bugle  sound- 
The  death  rate  is  about  one  a  day.  and  while  we  were  on  the 
grounds  tw'o  funerals  took  place.  The  military  ceremonies 
were  ver\-  solemn,  as  the  long  line  of  blue  coats  marched  in 
.silent  tread  behind  the  tlag  shrouded  coffins  of  their  dead 
comrades,  keeping  step  to  the  doleful  funeral  dirge  of  the 
martial  music  and  muffled  drum.  (  )ur  drixer  seemed  lo 
know  his  btisiness.  for  he  drop})ed  in  line  at  the  rear  of  the 
procession,  and  we  followed  along  the  smooth  driveway 
througii  green  and  fragrant  park  grcnmds  to  the  cemetery, 
wliere  we  witnessed  the  impressive  ceremonies  of  a  military 
funeral  and  iiring  a  salute  o\er  the  gra\e,  closing  with  a 
lonely  bugle  .sound.  We  now  l)egan  to  feel  a  little  ner\  ous 
about  getting  out  through  the  heavy  iron  gateway  where  we 
had  entered,  and  we  told  the  driver  to  crowd  up  on  the 
mourners,  and  not  let  the  gates  close  us  in,  for  we  had  a 
mortal  fear  of  graveyards  and  state  ]irisons,  so  far  awa\'  from 
our  Western  home. 

In  the  morning  we  shall  start  on  our  Inng  journey  to  our 
far  u\\',[y  home  in  Minnesota. 


RACY   SKETCHES 


IN    THE 


OLD    SLAVE   STATES 


RACY  SKETCHES  IN  THE  OLD  SLAVE 
STATES. 


Louisville,  Ky.,  Feb.  20,  1900. 

We  have  reached  the  blue  grass  region  of  Old  Kentucky, 
and  are  enticed  by  its  shining  fields  of  perennial  green  to 
remain  over  a  few  days  and  rest  from  our  Southern  journey. 
The  Ohio  river  is  open  here  and  steamboats  are  running  on 
its  v^aters.  The  Goebel  branch  of  the  legislature  is  also  open 
and  running  here,  but  it  is  not  run  by  water. 

When  we  left  St.  Paul  a  week  ago  the  weather  was  cold 
and  wintry  and  a  white  mantle  of  snow  covered  the  streets 
and  housetops.  The  Mississippi  river  was  locked  in  its  chains 
of  ice  and  the  adjacent  hills  looked  bleak  and  cheerless  be- 
neath their  wintry  shrouds  of  driven  snow.  The  streets  of 
St.  Paul  presented  a  typical  scene  of  Northern  winter,  with 
its  tinkling  bells  and  stylish  sleighs  filled  with  laughing  peo- 
ple behind  spirited  steeds,  driven  by  coachmen  so  muffled 
in  furs  and  frost  that  they  looked  Hke  polar  bears  sitting  up 
on  the  driver's  seat.  But  as  we  did  not  start  out  on  this  jour- 
ney to  hunt  for  the  north  pole,  we  took  the  train  south  next 
morning,  and  after  a  long  day's  ride  we  arrived  in  Chicago  in 
the  midst  of  a  driving  snowstorm,  which  was  wrestling  with 
a  woman's  suffrage  meeting  and  an  anti-trust  convention, 
all  in  full  blast.  It  was  a  fusion  combination  mess  of  po- 
litical agitators,  but  the  blizzard  came  out  ahead.  Chicago 
is  the  political  storm  center  of  this  country,  and  they  can  dis 
play  new  party  signals  and  build  cold  wave  platforms  on 
cyclone  notice.  They  have  in  a  few  years  turned  their  river 
up  stream  at  a  cost  of  thirty  million  dollars,  and  have  made 
the  waters  of  Lake  Michigan  run  through  it  to  the  Mississippi 
river,  where  the  water  combination  is  so  strong  that  fish  have 
to  swim  backward  down  stream.     While  here  I  strolled  into 


42 O  R  \(-N-    SKETCHES 

the  hall  of  the  howling  anti-trust  meeting-.  A  red  hot  speech 
was  being-  made  by  a  rip-roaring  agitator,  who  had  a  mouth 
like  an  open  door  and  a  voice  like  a  street  auctioneer.  He 
had  never  done  a  stroke  of  work  in  his  life,  and  he  was  ex- 
hort'ng  the  laboring  men  to  rise  in  their  might  and  strike 
down  their  oppressors.  An  Irishman  on  a  back  seat  jumped 
up  and  shouted:  ■'^^'hat  do  yees  know  about  labor  anyway, 
ye  blatherskite!" 

At  this  a  screeching  woman  delegate  sprang  to  her  feet 
and  proclaimed  that  all  rich  men  were  oppressors  of  the  poor 
and  ought  to  be  hung,  and  that  the  president  of  the  United 
States  wa.s  an  imperial  tyrant  in  the  sight  of  God.  The  same 
excited  Irish  workman  yelled  out:  "Mrs.  Biddv.  who  tould 
yees  how  the  Lord  looks  on  this  question?" 

^^^-lile  listening  to  these  harangues  I  could  not  help  think- 
ing how  easy  a  thing  it  is  to  set  up  in  the  business  of  growling 
and  fault-finding  with  everything  and  everybody.  It  requires 
no  capital  or  ability.  All  that  is  needed  is  mouth  and  wind 
to  start  a  full  blown  "anti"  factory  of  men,  who  are  opposed 
to  sunshine  and  happiness,  and  prefer  clouds  and  gloomy 
forebodings  of  the  future.  They  clamor  for  war  in  time  of 
peace,  and  are  opposed  to  peace  when  war  is  over.  They 
are  opposed  to  progress,  and  stand  in  the  way  like  a  balky 
horse  in  the  street  or  a  bull  on  a  railroad  track.  They  claim 
that  the  world  was  not  made  right  in  the  first  place,  and  that 
people  are  all  born  wrong  in  the  second  place.  They  are 
sour  at  everybody  and  everything.  Their  blood  is  like  vine- 
gar, and  their  hearts  are  gall  and  bitterness.  They  are  op- 
posed to  all  forms  of  trust,  even  to  trust  in  God  or  the  mar- 
riage trust,  where  man  and  wife  trust  in  each  other;  because, 
they  claim,  it  is  a  combination  of  capital,  and  nmst  be  stamped 
out  by  these  hypocritical  guardians  of  their  fellowmen.  I 
went  back  to  the  hotel,  and  told  my  wife  that  we  had  better 
leave  this  city  of  calamity  howlers  and  go  south  in  the  morn- 
ing, as  I'd  rather  risk  my  life  in  Old  Kentucky,  where  they 
shoot  governors. 


IX   Till';   Ol.l)   SLAVlv   STATl'lS.  4-1 

AMONG  THE  SIMUITIJALISTS. 

We  reached  Louisville  in  the  midst  of  another  snow 
storm,  but  the  city  was  warm  enough  with  the  Democratic 
lei^'islature  in  session,  and  a  spiritualist  convention  near  our 
hotel.  I  was  in\ited  into  the  leg^islative  hall  and  imhihed 
some  of  its  spirit,  and  I  then  stepped  into  L'berty  Hall,  where 
the  annual  state  convention  of  sp'ritualists  were  q^atliered  to 
receive  messages  from  their  departed  friends  in  the  s])irit 
land.  The  hall  was  full  of  people,  seated  with  slate  and  pen- 
cil in  hand  gazing  upward,  while  the  silence  was  deathlike. 
Soon  the  professor  on  the  stage  announced  that  the  white- 
winged  spirits  were  coming  in  flocks  and  \\ould  alight  on 
the  roof.  Then  there  was  singing,  and  weeping,  praying 
and  rejoicing.  The  medium  current  was  soon  connected, 
and  messages  from  ghostland  came  thick  and  fast,  and  were 
scratched  on  thc'r  slates.  Some  of  the  men  in  the  audience 
got  tired  of  waiting  for  theirs,  and  went  out  to  look  for 
other  spirits  around  the  corner.  When  they  came  back  their 
breath  was  too  strong  for  the  ethereal  spirits,  and  the  pro- 
fessor declared  the  current  turned  off  for  the  day,  but  would 
be  on  again  at  the  evening  meeting.  There  are  thousands  of 
sincere  believers  in  the  doctrine  of  spiritualism  in  this  coun- 
try as  a  form  of  religious  faith,  and  they  contend  that  the 
spirits  of  departed  friends  return  to  earth  at  frecpient  intervals 
and  converse  with  the  living.  It  is  a  belief  akhi  to  the  faith 
cure,  or  the  healing  of  the  sick  b_\-  pra>'er,  and  has  many  ad- 
vocates among  intelligent  theorists,  who  become  monomani- 
acs on  one  line  of  thought,  which  grows  to  a  belief. 

When  we  left  Minnesota  on  this  Southern  tour  our  friends 
cautioned  us  not  to  \'enture  through  Kentucky,  but  to  go 
around  the  state  and  keep  outside  of  the  fence,  away  from 
pistol  range.  T  was  reminded  that  besides  shooting  gov- 
ernors in  the  streets  they  eng-age  in  ])istol  duels  in  the  hotels 
and  kill  harmless  bystanders,  and  that  I  might  get  filled  with 
Old  Kentucky  lead  before  T  had  a  chance  to  get  filled  with 
anv  other  stimulant.      So,  when  I  went  over  to  the  old  capitol 


4-2  RACY    SKETCHES 

at  Frankfort,  I  kept  one  eye  out  for  third  story  windows  and 
Winchester  rifles  of  the  smokeless  powder  patent. 

BLOODLESS  DUEL. 

My  wife,  knowing  I  was  a  coward  and  would  run  in  bat- 
tle, advised  me  to  walk  sidewise  through  the  capitol  park, 
for  the  reason  that,  if  I  presented  a  broad  frontal  attack',  they 
would  be  sure  to  hit  me.  She  said  it  would  be  better  for  me  to 
make  one  of  General  Buller's  flank  movements  on  the  capitol, 
as  she  had  rather  see  me  shot  in  the  (lank  than  in  the  breast, 
as  T  could  retreat  in  better  order.  She  also  insisted  that  1 
better  stop  at  a 'tin  shop  and  get  a  piece  of  sheet  iron  fastened 
over  my  breast  and  under  mv  coat  tails.  Her  m-'litary  fore- 
sight surprised  me.  and  her  extreme  anxietv  alarmed  me. 
I  could  see  that  she  had  been  reading  the  Boer  war  and  Lady- 
smith's  exile.  T  suggested  buying  a  revolver,  but  she  said 
that  I  did  not  know  how  to  load  one.  and  had  not  the  cour- 
age to  shoot  one.  So  I  started  out  unarmed  but  full  mailed 
with  sheet  tin  and  iron  hoops,  like  an  anti-expansionist.  I 
walked  slowly,  and  in  a  sidewise  shambling  manner  up  to- 
ward the  capitol,  looking  vacantly  at  elevated  windows  and 
squirrels  in  the  trees,  until  T  came  to  the  spot  where  Governor 
Goebel  recently  fell  from  the  shot  of  an  assassin.  Here  I 
stopped  a  moment  and  looked  down  at  the  ground  when  I 
was  suddenly  accosted  by  a  stern  but  courtly  Southern  gen- 
tleman, asking  why  I  walked  so  suspiciously  sidewise  through 
that  sacred  ground.  I  told  him  I  did  not  want  to  get  in  the 
way  of  any  bullets,  and  was  trying  to  give  the  shots  room  to 
go  past  me  when  the  shooting  commenced.     He  said : 

"Well,  sah,  allow  me  to  politely  inform  you,  sah,  that  no 
man  is  permitted  to  walk  sideways  through  this  capitol  park, 
sah  !  You  will  be  shot  for  a  fool  or  a  governor,  sah !  Down 
here  in  Ole  Kentucky,  sah,  we  walk  straight,  shoot  straight. 
vf)te  straight,  and  drink  straight  whisky,  sah." 

When  he  ceased  speaking  I  saw  a  slight  smile  on  his  lip 
and  a  twinkle  in  his  eve,  with  a  motion  of  his  head  toward 


IN  THE  OLD  SLAVE  STATICS.  423 

the  capitol  wine  rooms.  I  obeyed  the  si.f^nals.  for  I  was  oret- 
ting  shaky  and  thirsty  myself  and  needed  a  friend.  He  took 
my  arm  and  we  walked  along  together  like  two  Kentucky 
governors  going  to  fight  a  duel.  When  we  reached  the  bar 
he  told  me  to  choose  my  weapons  and  he  would  select  the 
ammunition,  and  we  would  load  up  with  brandy  cartridges, 
step  back  two  paces,  fire  once  and  repeat  twice.  When  the 
duel  was  over  I  felt  brave.  He  threw  up  the  white  hand- 
kercl^ief.  and  we  shook  hands  and  parted  friends.  As  a  last 
word  he  said,  in  confidence : 

"My  Northern  friend,  when  you  come  down  south  again 
bring  your  pistols  along,  for  nobody  but  fools  travel  without 
weapons  in  Old  Kentucky." 


AsHEviELE,  North  Carolina,  Feb.  22,  1900.  . 
We  have  arrived  at  this  mountain  resort  in  the  "Land  of 
the  Sky,"  and  are  resting  here  over  Sunday  before  continuing 
our  journey  to  the  sea  coast,  at  Charleston.  After  my  last 
letter  we  resumed  our  way  through  Old  Kentucky,  the  boast- 
ed land  of  Daniel  Boone,  Henry  Clay  and  the  Mammoth 
Cave. 

MAMMOTH  CAVE. 

Kentucky  can  show  the  biggest  hole  in  the  ground  of  any 
state  in  the  Union,  and  she  furnishes  a  guide  to  direct  you 
hoAV  to  go  down  into  the  infernal  regions  of  her  great  cave. 
Generally,  men  don't  need  any  guide  to  go  downward  in  this 
world,  but  they  do  in  Kentucky.  As  we  reached  the  dark 
mouth  of  the  great  subterranean  cave  I  asked  for  a  mule  to 
ride,  as  there  are  over  one  hundred  miles  of  avenues  or  foot- 
paths within  its  spacious  cavity.  There  is  a  death-like  soli- 
tude pervading  the  dimly  lighted  and  ghostly  corridors  of 
this  mammoth  cathedral  chamber  in  the  earth.  The  voice 
sounds  in  hollow  tones,  like  distant  echoes  from  entombed 


4-4  RACY    SKETCHES 

spirits.  The  ceiling  of  the  great  cave  is  hung  with  stalactites 
like  glittering  chandeliers  in  a  night  of  gloom.  There  is  a 
lake  or  pool  in  the  middle  of  the  cave  upon  which  many  of 
the  foolhardy  visitors  are  persuaded  by  the  guides  to  paddle 
in  small  boats  from  shore  to  shore.  This  underground  lake 
is  said  to  have  no  bottom,  and  a  small  stone  thrown  into  it 
will  fill  the  cave  with  resounding  echoes. 

W^hen  I  came  out  of  the  mouth  of  this  hideous  dungeon 
I  was  dripping  with  cold  sweat  and  Avalked  so  lame  and 
looked  so  much  like  \\\v  Vq.u  Winkle  or  Oom  Paul  that  my 
wife  did  not  know  me. 

Most  men  don't  know  when  to  be  thankful,  but  I  did,  and 
I  thanked  God  when  I  got  out  into  the  beautiful  sunlight 
and  pure  air  of  the  blue  skies  above  me,  and  beheld  the  sweet 
landscape  of  green  fields,  running  brooks  and  woodland  hills 
spread  out  before  me. 

A  LANDSCAPE  STATE- 

As  we  continued  on  our  journey  all  day  through  the 
varied  scenery  of  Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  comprising  field, 
forest,  orchard  and  stream,  it  impressed  me  as  one  of  the 
most  richly  endowed  sections  of  the  United  States,  as  far  as 
natural  resources  of  climate,  soil  and  productiveness  are  con- 
cerned. The  winter  wheat  fields  were  green,  and  young- 
lambs  were  grazing  over  the  verdant  pasture  slopes,  while 
little  brooks  of  clear  water  ran  everywhere,  racing  along  the 
sides  of  the  railroad,  seemingly  trying  to  outrun  the  train, 
until  beaten  in  their  playful  race  they  scamper  off  across  the 
fields  and  meadows  like  barefooted  children  in  spring  time. 
As  we  sped  on  toward  the  mountain  region  we  entered  the 
district  where  coal  mining  and  lumbering  are  the  principal 
industries.  To  the  traveler  the  mountains  of  Tennessee  look 
bleak  and  barren,  but  they  are  full  of  coal  and  mineral.  We 
passed  through  the  country  where  the  Taylor  legislature  as- 
sembled, and  its  mountains  are  lonely  enough  to  make  any 
man  shoot  a  governor. 


IN  Till;  OLD   SJ.AVE  STATKS.  4^5 

IN  KNOXVILLE,  TENN. 

Our  road  ran  throiij^h  an  almost  continuous  chain  of 
mountain  tunnels  in  east  Tennessee,  and  in  the  eveninc:,'  we 
arrived  at  Knoxvillc,  a  city  of  50,000  people,  where  we 
stopped  over  to  spend  ^Vashington's  birthday.  This  is  the 
city  where  old  Parson  Brownlow  started  the  Knoxville  Whig 
over  a  half  century  ag'O.  Here  also  lived  the  noted  Southern 
aboHtionist,  Horace  Maynard.  This  state  was  also  the  home 
of  President  Polk;  and  of  President  Johnson,  w-ho  succeeded 
to  the  presidential  chair  when  President  Lincoln  was  assas- 
sinated. A  large  monument  to  Johnson  can  be  seen  from  the 
train,  standing  alone  on  the  hillside  at  Greenville. 

AT  ASHEVILLE,  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

Leaving  Knoxville  in  the  morning,  our  route  led  us  up  on 
to  the  heights  of  the  Great  Smoky  Mountains,  one  hundred 
and  thirty  miles  to  Asheville,  N.  C.  a  place  which  has  a  wide 
reputation  as  a  winter  resort,  the  country  seat  of  the  mil- 
lionaire Vanderbilts.  Here  at  the  Battery  Park  Hotel,  on 
the  mountain  top,  we  stopped  over  to  spend  the  Sabbath. 
The  parks  and  yards  in  the  valley  were  green  while  the 
mountain  sides  were  covered  with  snow. 

The  hotel  is  large  and  spacious,  with  wide  and  pleasant 
verandas  extending  around  three  sides  of  the  building,  and 
we  found  a  large  number  of  Northern  tourists  here.  There 
is  a  spacious  sun  parlor  for  winter,  with  fireplaces  and  easy 
chairs,  and  the  whole  made  inviting  and  green  with  tropical 
plants  and  fiowers,  among  which  are  the  broad  leaf  magnolia 
and  the  graceful  palm.  A  band  of  music  is  one  of  the  daily 
attractions,  and  a  large  dancing  hall  for  the  amusement  atid 
pleasure  of  the  guests,  and  occasional  theatrical  plays.  The 
adjacent  mountain  scenery  here  is  conceded  by  all  travelers 
to  be  the  grandest  in  America.  As  w'e  came  up  the  western 
slope  from  Knoxville,  we  were  carried  along  the  famous 
French  Broad  river,  which  tears  its  way  through  the  rocky 
gorges  of  the  mountains,  and  goes  leaping  and  plunging  in 
foaming  rapids  and  roaring  cataracts  for  nearly  one  hundred 


4-6  RACY    SKETCHES 

miles  along"  the  rail  route.  The  mountains  were  clothed  in 
green  to  their  very  summits.  There  is  one  green  tree,  the 
faithful  and  hardy  pine,  which  seems  to  grow  and  flourish  in 
all  climes.  "^A''herever  we  have  traveled,  from  the  ice  hills 
of  the  north  to  the  e\'erg]ades  of  the  south,  we  have  always 
found  the  ever-present  pine  tree,  planting  its  foot  upon  the 
mountain  sides  and  climbing  its  steep  ascents  till  it  waves  its 
green  boughs  from  the  snow  capped  peaks. 

Up  here  we  are  2,300  feet  above  the  sea  level,  while  only 
a  few  days  ago  we  were  several  hundred  feet  down  in  the 
earth  at  the  Mammoth  Cave.  Last  night's  mountain  sunset 
was  glorious,  and  the  painted  clouds  hanging  over  the  glis- 
tening peaks  seemed  like  a  burning  city  in  the  heavens.  This 
is  verilv  the  "Land  of  the  vSkv." 


COON   HUNTING  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

"A  little  nonsense  now  and  then 
Is  relished  by  the  best  of  men." 

Hot  Springs,  N.  C.  March  4,  1900. 
At  this  place  I  was  invited  out  in  the  afternoon  hunting 
coons  and  bears  in  the  mountains  with  the  "Black  Men's  Pos- 
sum Club,"  who  were  going  out  to  have  a  "hot  time"  in  the 
old  woods.  My  wife,  who  had  fractured  her  arm,  could  not 
have  laughed  harder  than  she  did  when  she  saw  me  coming 
back  from  my  "coon  hunt,"  with  my  pants  half  torn  ofTt, 
one  coat  sleeve  gone,  bareheaded,  and  the  skin  peeled  off  my 
nose  like  a  banana  rind.  The  hotel  landlady  was  with  her 
when  I  stepped  in  at  the  door,  and  they  nearly  laughed  me 
out  of  the  room.  They  made  me  turn  around  for  front  and 
rear  inspection,  like  a  soldier  on  undress  parade,  and  quizzed 
me  about  the  little  white  flag  of  peace  that  I  carried  be- 
hind me.  I  assured  them  it  was  only  a  ])iece  of  a  flag, 
and   all   there  was  left,   that   the  coon   had   the  other  part. 


IN  THE  OLD  SLAVE  STATES.  4-7 

The  kind-hearted  landlady  said  she  would  send  up  for  me 
a  pair  of  the  landlord's  pants,  which  she  did.  But  they  were 
so  small  around  the  waist  and  so  short  and  tight  in  the 
legs  that  I  couldn't  sit  down — not  in  the  presence  of  visit- 
ors. T  was  so  all-fired  mad  that  I  expanded  bigger  than 
ever,  and  the  naked  skin  scalp  on  my  nose  smarted  worse  than 
a  blister.  My  wife  advised  me  to  use  possum  grease  or  coon 
oil,  and  said  I  must  have  been  in  a  bear  fight,  I  was  so  near 
bare  naked.  The  colored  waiter  came  up  with  my  supper 
just  then,  and  the  moment  he  saw  me  turn  around  in  the 
middle  of  the  voom.  he  broke  out  into  a  plantation  laugh  and 
nearly  dropped  his  dishes.     He  exclaimed : 

"Fur  de  Ian'  sake,  massa,  is  yo'  bin  a  coon  hunlin'?" 
I  told  him  no.  that  the  coon  was  hunting  me.      He  said  : 
"Ts  dat  coon  dead?     Did  him  get  all  yo'  close,  or  is  yo' 
goin'  back  arter  dem?" 

He  went  off  down  the  hall  singing  to  himself: 
"O,  lordy,  lordy,  dis  am  a  hot  time  in  dis  ole  town !     Pos- 
sum grease,  coon  oil  an'  bar  meat  for  de  wild  man  in  de 
room !" 

THE  OLD  MOUNTAINEER. 

The  next  day  was  warm  and  springlike,  and  I  w^as  sitting 
out  in  the  hotel  park  nursing  my  sores  and  muttering  over 
my  fool  troubles,  when  an  old  gray-haired  mountaineer  came 
along,  with  rifle  in  hand.  He  looked  like  the  old  hunter, 
Daniel  Boone,  come  to  life  again.  He  peered  into  my  dis- 
consolate face  as  I  sat  with  my  head  between  my  hands,  and 
said : 

"My  friend,  be  you  afflicted?  You  appear  to  have  been 
fightin'  mountain  bears  or  Transvaal  Boers!  Here,  my 
friend,"  he  continued,  "take  my  rifle,  and  finish  the  fight." 

He  sat  down  beside  me  on  the  park  bench.  He  tapped 
his  cob  pipe  on  my  knee,  and  spilt  the  hot  ashes  into  my  shoe. 
I  sprang  to  my  feet  and  performed  a  clog  dance  to  shake  the 
burning  embers  off  from  my  foot.  The  hotel  guests  sitting 
on  the  veranda  seemed  greatly  amused  at  my  heel  and  toe 


428  RACY    SKKTCHES 

exhibition,  and  begged  me  to  repeat  the  hvely  jig.  But  the 
hot  ashes  had  run  out.  ]My  friend,  the  old  mountaineer,  who 
had  offered  me  his  rifle,  picked  up  his  gun  and  eved  me  sus- 
piciously.    He  moved  cautiously  away,  muttering: 

"Be  gawd.  sah.  I'm  afeared  of  a  tenderfoot  like  you.  sah  !" 

I  knew  well  enough  that  I  was  tender  in  one  foot,  where 
tiie  hot  ashes  fell,  but  could  kick  with  the  other.  As  he 
walked  down  the  mountain  side  I  saw  him  raise  his  rifle  and 
pick  a  wild  squirrel  out  of  a  tree  top.  without  even  taking  his 
corn  cob  pipe  out  of  his  mouth.  He  looked  back  and  saw  me 
watching  his  marksmanship,  and  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  his 
rifle  cracked  again  and  down  came  another  squirrel  from  the 
tree  top.  The  old  dead  shot  came  up  the  mountain  again, 
and.  holding  up  before  me  the  two  squirrels  by  their  bushy 
tails,  said: 

"You  kin  hev  them  two  varmints  fer  a  plug  of  terbacker 
or  a  horn  of  brandy !" 

Tt  struck  me  as  a  fair  deal,  for  T  thought  a  little  squirrel 
broth  would  be  good  for  my  w'ife,  the  "terbacker"  would  be 
good  for  the  old  hunter,  and  the  brandy  wouldn't  hurt  me  a 
bit  in  my  present  condition  of  mind  and  body.  I  looked  first 
to  see  if  the  "varmints"  w-ere  sure  dead  and  harmless.  I  then 
took  them  with  their  tails  tied  together,  and  the  old  man  and 
I  walked  down  the  mountain  to  the  street  market,  where  they 
were  trading  "groceries"  for  wild  game,  com  fodder,  green 
wood  and  mules.  They  offered  us  two  plugs  of  tobacco  or 
one  horn  of  brandy  for  the  two  squirrels.  T  told  my  old 
friend  that  he  could  take  the  tobacco  and  I  would  tackle  the 
brandy,  as  I  never  smoke.  He  looked  forlorn  and  said  that 
he,  too,  was  pretty  good  on  the  tackle.  I  then  flung  the  two 
"varmints"  onto  the  counter  with  one  of  Bryan's  fifty-cent 
dollars,  and  my  old  friend's  eye  lighted  u])  like  a  full  moon. 
He  touched  me  on  the  shoulder  and  said: 

"That's  squar,  partner;  that's  squar !  Make  her  two  bran- 
dies, an'  I'll  shoot  two  more  squirrels  fer  yer  wife!  I'll  also 
shoot  the  eyes  out  of  that  infernal  coon  that  clawed  that 
jjiece  of  skin  offen  yer  nose!" 


IN  TTiE  ni.i)  si,.\\'i':  s'i'ATi;s.  429 

The  mention  of  tliat  coon  fight  made  me  mad  again,  and 
1  threw  down  another  half  dollar  for  powder  and  shot  and 
a  half  dollar  for  the  old  man  to  load  with.  After  we  got 
through  selHng  our  game  neither  of  us  could  walk  up  the 
mountain  again,  so  the  old  hunter  sat  down  in  the  grocery 
with  his  rifle  across  his  knee  smoking  his  cob  pipe,  while  I 
rode  up  the  mountain  behind  a  negro  kid  on  a  mule,  and 
lauded  at  the  hotel  on  all  fours. 


NEGRO    REVIVAL    MEETING. 

Black  Mountain,  N.  C,  March  20,  1900. 
To-day  being  the  Sabbath,  and  Mrs.  A.  being  still  con- 
fined to  her  room,  I  accepted  an  invitation  to  attend  the  col- 
ored church  on  the  side  of  the  mountain,  known  as  the 
"Church  in  the  Wilderness."  On  entering  the  door  I  was 
surprised  to  meet  our  black  head  waiter  at  the  hotel,  who 
was  also  head  deacon  of  the  church.  He  was  dressed  in  the 
agony  of  style,  with  black  suit,  high  white  collar,  low  cut  vest 
and  ruffled  white  shirt  bosom.  He  bowed  politely,  raised  his 
forefinger  for  me  to  follow  as  he  strode  like  a  lord  down  to 
the  front  and  seated  me  directly  facing  the  colored  preacher. 
With  another  bow  he  placed  a  prayer  book  in  my  hand.  I 
looked  around,  and  saw  a  few  other  white  sinners. near  me, 
who  had  also  come  over  from  the  hotel.  Otherwise  the  con- 
gregation were  all  black  people,  and  the  room  looked  as  dark 
as  a  cloudy  sky.  As  soon  as  the  bell  ceased  tolling  the  preach- 
er arose  and  in  thunder  tones  announced  the  hymn  "Nearer, 
My  God,  to  Thee."  My  friend,  the  colored  waiter,  who 
seemed  to  be  also  choir  leader,  handed  me  a  hymn  book  and 
pointed  his  black  finger  at  the  verse  where  I  was  expected  to 
help  "holler."  If  you  ever  heard  negro  melody  in  thunder 
tones,  it  was  when  that  big  congregation  of  black  worshippers 
opened  their  lungs  and  broke  forth.  The  windows  fairly  jin- 
gled and  the  mountains  re-echoed  as  the  deep  melody  rolled 


430  RACY    SKETCHES 

to  heaven,  and  the  strong-  odor  of  persp'ring  devotion  ascend- 
ed like  incense  around  the  altar  and  perfumed  the  room.  It 
was  rather  sultry  for  me,  but  T  had  came  there  to  get  some  of 
that  religion,  and  I  was  not  going  to  be  srfuffed  out  in  the  first 
round.  T  moved  along  next  to  an  open  window  to  get  air 
and  inspiration,  as  the  preacher  gave  out  his  subject.  "\\  hat 
Would  Jesus  Do?"  He  struck  his  fist  on  the  big  bible,  threw 
back  his  head,  stamped  his  feet  on  the  floor,  and  exclaimed : 

"My  colored  brudren,  I'll  tell  you  what  would  Jesus  do 
if  He  war  on  dis  arth  to-day.  He  would  first  kill  all  the  fool 
white  preachers  who  are  trying  to  tell  Him  what  to  do,  and 
what  they  would  do  if  in  Jesus'  place.  They  want  His  office, 
my  colored  brudren,  that's  what  they  want.  They  doan  want 
to  'follow  in  His  steps,'  but  they  want  Him  to  follow  them. 
When  Jesus  doan  know  what  to  do  He  will  ask  de  black  man 
who.  like  Him,  has  been  crucified  and  sold  into  slavery.  A\'hen 
these  white  preachers  ask,  'What  would  Jesus  do?'  let  Him 
ask  dem  what  they  have  done  on  this  arth,  and  the  answer 
will  be  "Prayin"  and  cheatin.'  Let  me  tell  you  my  brudren, 
what  the  black  slave  man  has  done  in  dis  world." 

Here  he  read  from  the  annual  report  of  the  progress  of 
the  colored  race  the  following  interesting^  facts :  In  the  thir- 
ty-five years,  since  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  he  has  reduced 
his  illiteracy  forty-five  per  cent,  nearly  one-half.  There  are 
now  in  the  common  schools  of  the  United  States,  1,500,000 
negro  children.  There  are  30,000  negro  teachers  employed 
in  giving  instruction,  and  40,000  negro  students  in  higher 
institutions.  There. are  in  the  United  States  17,000  negro 
graduates.  There  are  20,000  negro  students  learning  trades. 
The  negroes  have  established  libraries  that  have  in  them  ah 
aggregate  of  250,000  volumes,  and  there  are  156  institutions 
for  the  higher  education  of  negro  students.  There  are  in 
the  country  500  negro  doctors  and  half  that  number  of  law- 
yers. The  value  of  their  libraries  is  $500,000,  and  of  their 
school  property  $12,000,000,  while  their  church  property  is 
valued    at    $37,000,000.     They    are    credited    with    130,000 

( 


IN  TlITv  OLD  SLAVE  STATLS.  431 

farms,  and  own  homes  valued  at  $400,000,000,  with  personal 
property  valued  at  $165,000,000.  It  is  estimated  that  the 
negroes  have  contributed  and  expended  since  the  close  of  the 
war  $10,000,000  for  their  own  education. 

"Now,  my  colored  brudren,"  he  continued,  "this  is  what 
the  black  man  has  done.  We  w-ill  now  imitate  the  white 
man,  and  do  something  that  Jesus  W'Ould  not  do,  and  that  is 
take  up  a  collection.  Will  .^rudder  Nicodemus  pass  the  hat, 
and  let  each  member  donaie  according  to  his  means  or  his 
meanness." 

He  aimed  this  last  appeal  over  towards  the  window  where 
I  was  sitting.  As  the  hat  was  meandering  around  among 
the  congregation  the  choir  roared  aloud  the  hymn,  "Here, 
Lord,  I  Give  Myself  Away,  'Tis  All  That  I  Can  Do."  I  did 
not  want  to  give  quite  so  much  as  that  when  away  from 
home,  so  I  began  to  rustle  around  in  my  pockets  for  some 
loose  change,  and  just  as  the  choir  switched  ott  unto  the 
words,  "What  W  ould  Jesus  Do,"  I  pulled  out  a  quarter  and 
dropped  it  into  the  hat,  and  they  changed  the  tune  to  "Praise 
God  All  Creatures  Here  Below."  As  the  preacher  pro- 
nounced the  benediction  the  congregation  arose,  and  my 
friend,  the  colored  deacon,  stepped  up  by  my  side  and 
startled  me  by  shouting;  "Bress  de  Lord!  Hallelujah! 
One  more  sinner  saved !  What  would  Jesus  Do !"  I  did  not 
know  w^hat  he  would  do,  but  I  knew  the  first  thing  I  would 
do  was  to  get  out  of  there. 

SOUTHERN  POLITICS. 

Next  day  I  went  down  to  the  county  seat  to  learn  some- 
thing about  the  way  they  run  court  and  politics.  As  I  en- 
tered the  court  room  the  judge  was  smoking  his  pipe,  wait- 
ing for  jurors  and  witnesses,  while  the  lawyers  were  sitting 
down  in  front  with  their  heels  cocked  up,  talking  politics, 
chewing  tobacco,  and  spitting  over  each  other's  heads  into 
the  log  fireplace.  As  the  jurors  came  in  with  slouched  hats, 
mud  boots  and  pistols,  they  took  their  seats  on  the  long 
bench,  and  the  foreman  passed  a  big  plug  of  tobacco  along 


432  RACY    SKETCHES 

.tlie  line,  from  which  each  guardian  of  the  law  bit  of¥  a  chew, 
crossed  his  legs,  put  his  hand  on  his  hip  pocket  and  took  the 
oath  to  administer  justice  as  he  understood  it  to  all  men — 
except  black  heathen  and  white  Republicans. 

The  first  case  called  was  that  of  a  man  accused  of  shoot- 
ing a  neighbor's  hog".  The  second  was  a  henroost  robbery 
case.  The  third  was  for  fighting  on  St.  Patrick's  day.  The 
witnesses  in  these  three  cases  swore  that  it  was  all  done  in  self- 
defense,  and  the  culprits  were  ac(juitted.  Then  the  lawyers 
got  to  quarreling  over  the  verdict,  and  began  swinging  re- 
volvers in  the  air.  and  a  stranger  fell  in  a  fit.  The  judge, 
supposing  he  had  fainted  and  only  needed  reviving,  asked 
the  law'yers  if  any  one  of  them  could  furnish  a  dram  of  whisky 
for  the  man.  Instantly  thirteen  red  flasks  glittered  in  the  air. 
and  were  passed  up  to  the  judge's  stand,  with  a  friendly  ad- 
monition to  the  judge,  that  if  any  of  the  medicine  was  left  to 
pass  it  dow-n  to  the  bar  again,  as  a  stimulant  for  the  next  case 
on  the  calendar.  The  judge  commended  the  lawyers  for 
their  legal  and  medical  foresight  and  caution. 

When  the  next  case  on  the  calendar  was  called,  1  saw  at 
once  by  its  title  why  the  judge  had  commended  the  attor- 
neys for  their  legal  and  medical  foresight  and  caution.  It 
was  a  suit  for  intimidating  and  threatening  voters  at  the  polls 
by  the  shotgun  policy,  whereby  only  ten  Republican  votes 
had  been  returned  in  a  county  having  several  hundred  Re- 
publican voters.  The  judge  turned  red  in  the  face,  the  law- 
yers coughed  and  thfew  out  their  tobacco  quids,  the  jurors 
hunched  each  other  in  the  ribs,  the  witnesses  winked  sus- 
piciously, as  much  as  to  say,  "Hell  is  now  to  pay !  "  I  began 
to  think  so.  too,  for  1  have  learned  never  to  dispute  a  South- 
erner's word,  especially  when  I  hear  revolvers  begin  to  click, 
as  they  did  all  over  that  court  room.  I  at  once  took  a  back 
seat  near  the  door. 

The  first  witness  testified  that  the  "White  Supremacy 
Club."  for  several  days  before  election,  paraded  the  road- 
ways of  his  district  on  horseback,  with  masked  faces,  wear- 


NEGRO  CHURCH  REVIVAL  IN  THE  OLD  SLAVE  STATES.-p.  429. 


IN  THE  Or.D  SLAVE   STATES.  433 

ing  red  Hanncl  shirts,  armed  with  rilles  an<l  wliisky.  and  went 
shooting-  recklessly  into  dooryards  and  fields  where  colored 
people  were  at  work.  They  threatened  and  frightened  the 
voters  to  such  a  degree  that  many  were  afraid  to  register 
their  names  as  voters  or  go  to  the  polls  to  cast  their  ballots, 
under  threats  of  vengeance  and  discharge-from  their  jobs  by 
the  "white  rule  regulators."  Another  witness  swore  that  on 
election  day,  after  the  poUs  were  closed,  a  hooting  mob  sur- 
rounded the  voting  place,  declaring  fraud,  and  began  shoot- 
uig  through  the  windows,  when  one  of  the  frightened  elec- 
tion judges  fell  in  a  f^t.  and  "the  ballot  box  w^as  thrown  out 
of  the  window.  A  red- shirt  Irish  Democrat  jumped  to  his 
feet  and  shaking  his  fist  at  the  witness  exclaimed : 

•'Yees  are  a  black  liar,  sor!  I  was  there  meself,  an'  we 
voted  in  a  hat— no  ballot  box  at  all  at  all— an'  we  had  an  hon- 
est count.  We  tuk  the  hat  across  the  strate  to  the  St.  Patrick 
Saloon,  an'  laid  it  on  the  counter,  besoide  our  revolvers,  in  a 
peaceful  manuer,  sor,  an'  we  counted  every  vote,  sor,  without 
hrm'  a  shot  or  tak.n'  a  drmk.  i  voted  tin  toimes  meself  that 
day,  sor,  an  we  found  every  one  of  them  ballots  in  the  hat. 
It  was  an  honest  count,  sor." 

I  noticed  that  the  prosecutmg  attorney  was  gettmg  hot 
under  the  collar.  He  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  pointing  his 
quivering  finger  at  the  Irishman  exclaimed: 

"Pat,  I  m  going  to  impeach  your  evidence  for  truth  and 
veracity  as  a  witness !  Now,  tell  me  how  many  negroes  you 
have  killed  in  the  past  year,  and  how  many  times  have  you 
voted  at  each  election." 

"I  will  not  criminate  meself,"  said  Pal.      'Tm  not  your  ' 
witness.     I  do  not  kape  a  roll  of  dead  niggers.     Call  some 
of  your  own  witnesses,  'Squire.'' 

The  attorney  for  the  defense  then  arose,  and  addressed 
the  court  in  behalf  of  the  "white  supremacy  of  the  South,"  and 
the  inherited  right  to  govern  the  lower  races  in  behalf  of 
society  and  good  governmenl.  and  the  protection  of  family 


28 


434  RACY    SKETCHES 

and  home.  His  eloquence  was  convincing  and  persuasive, 
as  were  also  the  two  revolvers  sticking  from  his  hip  pockets. 
The  judge  took  a  fresh  chew,  and  shed  some  red  tears,  and 
the  jury  shook  their  heads  and  grated  their  teeth  in  behalf 
of  "justice  to  the  white  man  and  to  hell  with  the  black  man." 
A  moment  of  threatening  silence  ensued,  wliich  was  broken 
by  an  accidental  discharge  of  a  revolver  on  the  back  seat, 
and  in  an  instant  the  court  room  looked  like  an  arsenal  of 
war  awaiting  an  attack.  The  judge  declared  the  case  dis- 
missed, the  jury  disch.arged  and  the  court  adjourned — all  in 
self  defen.se. 


Columbia.  S.  C,  April  i,  1900. 
At  last  we  have  resumed  our  journey  after  almost  five 
weeks  of  lonely  exile  for  Mrs.  A.,  up  here  in  the  skyland 
mountains.  For  nearly  forty  days  she  has  been  confined 
to  hef  room,  and  is  still  very  weak  and  thin  and  pale,  show- 
ing that  she  has  suffered  from  her  accident  more  constant 
pain  than  she  has  complained  of.  She  feels  most  thank- 
ful to  once  more  step  out  into  the  warm  sunshine,  and 
breathe  the  pure  air  of  heaven — where  she  can  inhale  the 
sweet  fragrance  of  budding  spring  and  hear  the  cheerful 
noteo*of  the  early  song  birds.  Although  carrying  her  arm 
in  a  sling  she  smiled  through  her  tears  as  we  rode  down 
the  mountain  to  the  depot,  so  rejoiced  was  she  to  be  at 
last  relieved  from  her  long  and  painful  imprisonment  at 
the  hotel.  On  our  reaching  the  train  her  most  dif^cult  task 
was  to  climb  the  steps  to  the  car  with  only  her  left  arm  to 
help  herself,  the  right  arm  being  too  sore  to  be  touched. 
Then  I  saw  that  I  must  get  down  to  business,  and  put  my 
shoulder  under  this  white  man's  burden  of  two  hundred 
pounds.  The  Pullman  porter  stood  behind  me,  gazing  with 
astonishment,  and  said  he  believed  T  could  lift  a  ton  if  I  had 
it  fairlv  on  mv  shoulder.     .At  all  events  T  landed  her  in  fine 


1  \   TIIlv   oi.l)   SI.Wl",  STATlvS.  435 

shape  on  the  top  steps,  and  alter  we  entered  the  coach  and 
were  conifortrably  seated  in  a  pleasant  state  room  my  wife  was 
nearly  exhausted  and  1  was  completely  demolished.  She 
drew  a  long  breath  of  relief,  and  I  also  drew  a  long  breath 
— for  relief  or  something  else. 

The  afternoon  was  briglit  and  beautiful,  and  as  the  train 
pulled  out  of  Ashcvillc  and  rolled  a  few  miles  through  Van- 
derbilt's  charming  little  villa  of  Biltmore  it  seemed  that  earth 
and  sky  and  mountain  never  presented  such  a  peculiar  charm 
for  us  now  that  we  were  again  speeding  on  our  way  to  the 
sea'coast.  The  hluQ  skies  hung  high  over  the  mountain  tops, 
with  fleecy  white  clouds  flitting  across  the  azure  deep  like 
white  sails  out  at  sea.  As  our  train  began  to  ascend  the 
rising  slopes  of  the  Blue  Ridge  range  we  seemed  to  be  near- 
ing  the  blue  skies  above  us  until  our  train  stood  upon  the 
very  summit,  w-ith  fleets  of  floating  clouds  below  us  and  a 
world  of  towering  peaks  aroimd  us. 

A  DISTILLE;RY  above  TUI'    cloi^os. 

We  stopped  at  a  little  station  away  up  in  the  mountani.^, 
where  the  notorious  '"moonshiners'"  make  unlicensed  and 
illegal  whisky,  and  kill  United  vStates  deputy  marshals  who 
attempt  to  arrest  them.  Judghig  by  the  looks  of  the  mot- 
ley group  of  rough  mountaineers  standing  m  front  of 
the  little  depot,  one  is  led  to  think  they  are  waiting  for 
more  marshals  to  fill  with  lead.  Their  faces  were  marked 
with  old  scars  and  gashes  like  Indian  warriors.  Some  had 
one  eye  out;  others  had  cuts  in  their  cheeks  and  bullet- 
holes  in  their  necks,  with  only  one  arm  or  one  leg,  but 
each  had  two  pistols  and  a  rifle.  They  were  nearly  all 
freckle-faced  and  red-headed,  and  they  looked  a  vicious  lot 
of  daredevils.  They  w-atched  closely  to  see  if  any  deputy 
marshal  got  off  the  train.  But  it  seemed  nobody  wanted 
to  get  off  very  bad  and  be  shot.  1  noticed  a  tall,  rugged 
mountaineer  w^ith  a  rifle  looking  into  our  car  window,  and 
when  his  eye  caught  sight  of  Mrs.  A.'s  bandaged  arm  he 


43^  KACV    SKKTCIIKS 

* 

seemed  to  l:»e  much  excited,  and  called  others  of  his  gang  to 
peek  inside.  They  looked  at  her  and  then  at  nie  very  critic- 
ally, and  ])nt  their  faces  close  to  the  glass.  I  was  in  the  act 
of  rubbing  my  wifes  arm  with  liniment  and  treating  myself 
to  some  stimulants,  and  the  display  of  bottles  made  them 
smile,  as  tliey  thought  we  were  wounded  moonshiners  and 
were  carrying  the  "red  stufT"  for  medicine.  As  the  train 
pulled  out  the  tall  man  with  tlie  rifle  tipped  his  slouched  hat 
and  \\a\'ed  his  hand  at  us.  as  much  as  to  say  if  we  needed 
an\"  more  medicine  on  our  return,  to  call  at  the  moonshine 
d  stillery  u])  in  the  mountains  above  the  clouds. 

We  had  not  proceeded  far  eastward  on  our  journey  over 
these  momitain  heights  before  great  black  clouds  began  to 
roll  u])  from  the  seaward  and  darken  the  sun.  The  mutter- 
ing of  thunder  and  the  quivering  of  distant  lightning  gave 
warning  of  an  impending  mountain  storm.  Presently  loud 
peals  of  thunder  shook  the  hills,  and  flashing  lightning  leaped 
from  iieak  to  peak.  The  rain  poured  in  torrents  down  the 
mountain  gorges  and  the  ri\-er  valleys.  The  wind  raged  like 
a  tornado  and  great  trees  were  leveled  to  the  ground. 
Screaming  eagles  soared  amid  the  storm  in  seeming  delight. 
The  \ery  mountains  seemed  to  reel  and  groan  as  the  black 
clouds  rolled  in  great  waves  over  their  summits.  The  crash 
of  thunder  and  the  piercing  lightning  were  frightful;  and  we 
were  frightened  too.  My  nife  shut  her  eyes  and  prayed, 
while  I  crawled  under  the  seat  and  swore. 

THE  CAPIT.-XL  OF  SOUTH  CAROLINA. 

We  soon  began  to  descend  the  great  eastern  slope  of  the 
Blue  Ridge,  down  toward  the  sea.  passing  through  the  large 
cotton  fields  of  vSouth  Carolina,  and  arriving  in  the  evening 
at  Columbia,  the  capital  of  the  state.  IMrs.  .A.  endured  the 
journey  remarkably  well,  and  passed  a  refreshing  mght's 
sleep  after  the  task  was  over.  In  the  morning  I  started  out 
to  look  over  this  cpiaint  old  cit\-  nf  thirty  thousand  inhabi- 
tants. The  warm  and  soft  sea  breezes  were  wafted  up  from 
the  r)ccrui  coast  onlv  a  few  hom's"  distant  to  the  eastward,  and 


IN  THE  OLD  SLAVi:  STATUS.  437 

mild-eyed  sprin<;'  had  come  in  all  its  fragrant  and  smilin.£f 
beauty.  The  green  grass  in  the  old  capitol  park  was  ankle 
high,  and  the  trees  were  bursting  their  tender  buds  into  the 
first  tiny  leaves  of  spring.  The  violet,  the  tulip  and  the  yel- 
low jessamine  flower  were  in  full  bloom  in  the  private  lawns 
along  the  street.  The  peach  trees  were  in  full  j^ink  bloom, 
while  the  snow-white  blossoms  of  overhanging  apple  and 
cherry  boughs  brushed  my  cheek  with  a  sensation  as  sweet 
and  tender  as  a  baby's  kiss. 

The  streets  are  \'er}-  wide  in  this  Southern  city,  like  spa- 
cious avenues,  and  in  the  center  is  a  row  of  graceful  and 
stately  oak  trees,  converting  the  handsome  thoroughfares 
into  shaded  boulevards  in  the  heated  sunnner  time.  The 
sidewalks  are  fairly  dark  with  colored  people,  as  over  half  of 
the  population  of  this  city  and  state  are  negroes,  most  of 
them  of  the  very  blackest  type,  but  qu'te  intelligent  and  in- 
dustrious. They  own  many  stores  along  the  streets,  which 
they  conduct  themselves,  while  many  colored  clerks  are  also 
employed  in  the  white  stores.  Nearly  all  of  the  manual  labor 
in  the  city  is  performed  by  negroes.  The  two  days  we  re- 
mained here  several  hundred  colored  laborers  were  employed 
in  paving  the  streets,  with  a  few  white  workmen  mixed  in. 
It  was  an  interesting  sight  to  see  negro  l)osses  over  white 
men,  as  there  were  in  several  of  the  work  gangs.  As  the 
long  line  of  street  paving  gangs  were  moving  down  the  street 
with  picks  swinging  in  the  air  they  looked  like  an  arm\-  with 
fixed  bayonets  or  a  herd  of  long-horned  Texas  steers.  Each 
gang  was  led  by  a  colored  boss,  who  set  the  pace  for  work  by 
slowly  singing  a  plantation  melody  in  which  all  the  black 
men  joined,  and  they  timed  the  swing  and  fall  of  their  pick- 
axes to  the  cadence  of  the  melody.  All  day  long  could  be 
heard  the  clicking  of  their  axes  on  the  stone  street,  and  their 
droll  melody  and  happy  laugh  and  shout.  Occasionally  they 
would  all  join  in  singing  some  old  jubilee  hymn,  when  the 
whole  street  would  echo  like  a  camp  meeting  ground.  Even 
the  mules  would  bray. 


43^  RACY    SKETCHES. 

Charlkstox.  S.  C.  .\pril  8.  1900. 
To-day  we  are  here  in  the  old  historic  city  of  Charles- 
ton. S.  C.  where  the  first  .P'lm  av?s  fired  in  onr  last  cruel 
war — where  secession  was  hatched,  rebellion  inaugurated 
and  Fort  Snmtcr  bombarded,  as  the  beginning-  of  the  long 
and  bloody  war  which  followed.  Tt  has  been  said  that 
the  sound  of  that  one  gnn.  fired  upon  that  devoted  little 
fort  of  our  country,  from  the  attacknsT  shore  batteries 
in  1861  :  rallied  to  arms  and  put  into  the  field  in  four  years 
of  war  over  three  million  soldiers  in  the  opposing  armies 
of  the  North  and  South.  This  little  fort  has  been  rebuilt, 
and  is  plainly  seen  standing  out  in  the  bay,  commanding 
the  entrance  to  the  harbor  from  the  ocean.  All  along  the 
water  front  in  the  Older  part  of  Charleston  the  buildings 
bear  many  marks  of  the  war,  where  shot  and  shell  created 
much  havoc  and  destroyed  much  property.  It  was  after 
nearly  four  years  before  the  Northern  army  recaptured  the 
fort  and  took  possession  of  the  city.  DoAvn  at  the  foot  of 
the  main  street,  where  the  rebel  batteries  were  stationed  for 
the  defense  of  the  city,  is  now  to  be  seen  a  beautiful  park, 
facing  upon  the  water,  shaded  with  graceful  oaks,  where  vis- 
itors gather  on  pleasant  days  and  look  out  dreamily  across 
the  peaceful  bay,  pondering  over  the  horrors  of  war  in  a  land 
where  peace  now  smiles  and  friendship  and  happiness  reign. 

HISTORIC  OLD   CHARLESTON. 

In  riding  about  the  city  of  Charleston  the  traveler  is  con- 
stantly reminded  that  it  is  one  of  the  oldest  settled  places  in 
America,  and  was  long  under  English  rule.  Some  of  its 
buildings  are  nearly  two  hundred  years  old,  and  many  of  its 
public  improvements  were  made  in  the  last  century.  Old 
St.  Michael's  church,  on  Meeting  street,  down  toward  the 
bay,  was  built  by  the  British,  with  material  shipped  from 
England,  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago.  It  is  still 
standing,  and  is  one  of  the  largest  and  finest  churches  in 
Charleston.      The  r)ld  rhime'=  of  bell'^  in  it'=;  tall  tower  has  been 


TN  THE  OLD  SLAVE  STATES.  439 

ringing  through  several  generations,  and  its  churchyard  is 
filled  with  the  tombs  of  its  departed  worshii)pers,  whose  head- 
stones date  far  back  into  the  seventeenth  century.  Many  of 
the  tombstones  are  covered  with  moss  and  mould,  and  the  in- 
scriptions are  nearly  obliterated  by  the  wear  of  time.  Some  of 
the  inscription  stones  covering  the  graves  are  laid  fiat  down  in 
the  stone  sidewalk  encircling  the  church,  and  a  cold  shudder 
runs  over  the  visitor  as  he  steps  carefully  along  over  the  dust 
of  the  dead.  Very  many  of  the  old  churchyards,  right  on 
the  main  streets  of  the  old  city,  are  filled  with  white  monu- 
ments. It  makes  a  person  feel  melancholy  to  wander  around 
these  silent  tombs  of  the  departed  of  a  past  age.  In  Mag- 
nolia cemetery,  a  few  miles  out  of  the  city,  a  visitor  is  almost 
persuaded  to  believe  that  the  whole  world  is  dead,  and  died 
long  ago.  On  returning  to  the  city  we  pass  down  long 
streets,  lined  with  old-time  beautiful  homes,  surrounded  with 
green  lawns,  climbing  vines  and  flowering  shrubs;  but  the 
time-worn  mansion  shows  its  decaying  age  in  falling  scales 
of  brick  and  plaster  and  squeaking  gates  and  moss-covered 
fences.  Over  half  the  white  ladies  seen  along  the  streets  are 
dressed  in  mourning.  It  was  a  scene  to  make  a  man  mourn 
in  his  sleep  or  bewail  in  his  dreams.  The  tomb  of  the  great 
Southerner,  John  C.  Calhoun,  is  here  marked  by  a  granite  col- 
umn, beneath  the  drooping  boughs  of  a  green  magnolia  tree. 
Thirteen  years  ago  a  severe  shock  of  earthquake  in 
Charleston  entailed  much  damage  to  the  city.  A  rumbling 
noise  underground  was  the  first  warning,  and  came  in  from 
the  direction  of  the  sea,  passing  diagonally  under  the  city, 
demolishing  scores  of  buildings  and  cracking  the  founda- 
tions, walls  and  towers  of  many  of  the  largest  structures  all 
over  the  city.  Along  the  main  streets  in  the  business  sec- 
tions can  still  be  seen  cracks  and  fractures  in  the  upright  walls 
of  brick  and  stone  buildings  which  have  been  patched  up  and- 
strengthened  by  iron  rods  and  cement  work.  The  tall  towers 
of  some  of  the  old  churches  were  rocked  by  the  vibration, 
and  left  with  open  fissures  and  loosened  joints.     The  super- 


440  RACY    SKETCHES 

stitious  colored  people  were  very  much  frightened,  and  ran 
up  and  down  the  streets  praying  and  wailing;.  They  be- 
lieved that  Jonah's  big-  whale  had  come  in  from  the  sea,  and 
was  tr}M"ng-  to  swim  under  the  city  and  swallow  up  the  people. 
It  was  ''a  hot  time  in  de  old  town"  for  several  days,  and  the 
whole  population  went  to  church  daily  and  attended  prayer 
meetings  nightly.  But  in  a  few  weeks  they  all  turned  sin- 
ners again,  when  the  earth  stopped  quaking  and  the  preacher 
stopped  praying. 


CharlEstox.  S.  C.  April  iq.  rgoo. 

.'Xfler  writing  you  my  last  letter,  on  Sundav.  T  accepted 
an  invitation  to  attend  divine  services  at  the  old  historic 
clmrch  of  St.  IMichael.  which  was  founded  in  the  past  centurv. 
in  the  year  i7Si-  It  is  situated  on  one  of  the  oldest  streets 
of  the  city,  leading  down  to  the  battery  plaza  on  the  bay. 
All  along  down  this  grand  old  avenue  we  passed  handsome 
rows  of  palatial  mansions  of  the  old  colonial  style  of  archi- 
tecture, with  broad  verandas  covered  with  flowering  vines 
and  climbing  roses,  from  whose  sweet-scented  shades  the 
Southern  mockingbird  poured  forth  his  tuneful  song.  Mas- 
sive columns  and  fluted  pillars  of  marble  whiteness  stand  out 
in  front  like  giant  sentinels  of  the  gateway.  This  is  the 
aristocratic  street  of  the  city,  and  in  early  times,  when 
Charleston  was  in  the  meridian  days  of  her  glory,  the  people 
of  wealth  and  fashion  here  made  their  ho;nes.  extending  down 
to  the  battery  bay  front. 

As  we  strolled  pensively  along  toward  the  church  the 
chiming  bells  pealed  forth  on  the  fragrant  air  of  spring.  The 
whole  people  seemed  to  be  coming  to  church,  bearing  in 
then-  hands  flowers  of  sweet  incense.  As  we  entered  the  ves- 
tibule I  paused  to  read  a  tablet  of  history  cut  in  the  walls. 
It  ran  as  follows : 


IN  THE  OLD  SLAVE  STATES.  44' 


This  Church  Opened  for  Worship  in  1761.  Exposed  to  Fire  of 
British  Artillery  in  1780.  Struck  Four  Times  by  Federal  Artil- 
lery in  1863-5.  Damaged  by  Cyclone  in  1885.  Wrecked  by  Earth- 
quake in  1886. 

Gloria  in  Excelsis  Deo. 

The  church  tower  is  nearly  200  feet  high.  The  chime  of 
bells  and  clock  which  hanj^-  in  its  lofty  heig-ht  were  brought 
from  England  in  1768.  The  first  graves  in  its  churchyard 
date  back  to  1680.  Vv^hen  the  old  sexton  led  .us  down  the 
aisle  and  seated  us  in  the  old-fashioned  square-box  pew,  he 
turned  the  key  and  locked  us  in,  after  an  ancient  custom  of 
the  English  church.  It  made  me  nervous,  and  I  turned  my 
prayer  book  wrong  side  up  and  tried  to  be  interested.  But  I 
became  still  more  imeasy  when  my  Christian  friend  (|uietly 
whispered  to  me  that  a  certain  place  in  the  wall  across  the 
way  was  where  the  cannon  balls  of  the  Federal  artiller}^  in 
the  Civil  War  struck  the  church  and  knocked  out  the  tablet 
of  the  Lord's  Prayer  window,  and  tore  up  the  tiling  under 
the  puipit,  and  demolished  gravestones  outside.  I  was  just 
beginning  to  wonder  what  the  sexton  had  locked  us  in  there 
for,  when  my  eyes  slid  off  from  my  prayer  book  and  in  look- 
ing down  I  saw  where  the  floor  under  our  feet  had  settled 
down  eight  inches  during  the  earthquake  shock  of  1886,  and 
looking  up^ — ^which  I  seldom  do — 1  could  see  numerous 
cracks  in  the  walls  which  had  been  filled  and  repaired  with 
cement  and  mortar.  I  looked  at  the  lock  on  our  pew  and 
whispered  to  my  friend,  asking  him  if  the  congregation  was 
allowed  to  go  out  when  the  earthquake  came  in.  He  looked 
calm  and  resigned,  and  kept  right  on  singing  his  chant  in 
tune  with  the  surpliced  boy  choir.  I  was  too  nervous  to  do 
any  singing,  but  kept  fingering  that  lock  on  the  pew  door, 
to  see  if  I  could  loosen  the  bolt  and  escape  judgment  before 
the  benediction  was  pronounced. 

When  the  services  were  over  and  we  were  walking  de- 
voutly home  my  friend  consoled  me  by  saying  I  was  not  half 


442  RACY    SKETCHES 

SO  fri^^htened  as  the  negro  population  was  after  the  earth- 
quake. He  said  there  "vvas  not  a  chicken  stolen  for  a  month, 
and  hams  were  safe  in  the  smoke  houses  with  the  doors  left 
open.  The  darkies,  he  said,  were  too  busy  prayinsf  and 
Sfoing  to  glory.  They  eathered  in  the  parks  and  streets,  half 
naked,  sinfring-  and  praying. 

When  I  returned  from  chnrch  to  the  hotel  T  found  my 
wife  fanning-  away  the  heat  and  mosquitoes  with  her  well 
hand,  and  \vntch'n2'  the  earthcirake  cracks  in  the  corners  of 
our  room,  v'^he  was  engaged  in  a  sort  of  single  handed  com- 
bat against  many,  and  looked  wild.  The  landlady  had  been 
telling  her  how  the  earthquake  shook  up  and  damaged  the 
hotel,  and  killed  two  or  three  persons  in  the  dining-room  by 
falling  plaster  and  chimneys.  We  concluded  to  evacuate  the 
city,  and  take  the  train  northward  next  morning.  Hence  I 
endeavored  to  put  in  the  afternoon  in  visiting  the  magnolia 
gardens,  twenty  miles,  by  steamboat,  up  the  charming  Ashley 
river,  where  the  colored  people  believe  Adam  and  Eve  once 
lived  in  the  Garden  of  Eden,  "on  that  beautiful  shore,  in  a 
land  that  is  fairer  than  this."  After  a  delightful  ride  of  two 
hours  up  the  river  we  arrived  at  the  old  wharf  or  landing 
of  a  slave  plantation  in  by-gone  days.  There  on  the  sloping 
shore  were  the  magnolia  gardens,  beautiful  and  lovely  in  their 
solitude,  with  old  gravel  walks  overhung  with  flowers  and 
sweet  scented  vines.  Over  all  were  the  venerable  live  oak 
trees,  hung  in  drapery  of  silvery  moss,  and  the  broad  leaved 
magnolia  orchard,  white  as  snow  beneath  its  shower  of  tender 
blossoms.  The  soft  April  air  was  filled  with  sunshine,  and 
the  fragrant  breezes  blew  sweet  incense  from  sea  and  isle. 
It  truly  seemed  like  a  garden  of  the  gods,  or  a  cloud  dropped 
from  the  skies  of  paradise,  covered  with  the  flowers  of  Eden. 
The  scene  was  so  lo\ely  that  it  was  lonely  in  its  solitude,  and 
reminded  me  of  the  Ines  in  Gray's  Elegy,  where — 

■"Full  many  a  dower  is  born  to  blush  unseen 
And  waste  its  sweetness  on  the  desert  air." 


IX  THE  OLD  SLAVE  STATES.  443 

The  old  colored  watchman  at  the  crumbling  gate  said  to 
me: 

"Yes,  massa.  dis  am  de  place  sure  nuff  where  Adam  an' 
Eve  spent  der  honeymoon.  But  one  day  dey  sorter  quar- 
reled 'bout  de  apple.  Eve  she  want  a  sweet  apple.  But 
Adam  he  done  gone  git  his  back  up,  an'  he  pick  a 
sour  apple,  an'  gib  it  to  Eve.  She  took  a  bite,  an'  den  gone 
got  mad  an'  soured  on  ol'  Adam.  So  she  went  out.  and 
picked  off  all  de  fig  leaves  to  make  her  a  long  apron.  Den 
Adam  he  done  gone  git  his  back  up.  too,  an'  he  pick  off  all 
de  sour  apples  in  de  garden,  an'  he  eat  dem  all  hisself.  an'  he 
has  been  done  sour  eber  since.  Dey  separated  an'  left  dis 
garden,  an'  done  went  dey  own  ways,  de  Lord  only  knows 
where.  So  \ye  hab  no  mo'  Adams  an'  no  mo'  Eves  in  dis 
worl'." 

AN  OLD  SLAVL  MARKET  IN  EDEN. 

This  old  darkey  looked  as  though  he  might  have  beejn  old 
Adam,  himself  in  times  away  back.  He  was  gray-haired, 
wore  an  old  swallow-tail  coat  and  a  dilapidated  stovepipe  hat, 
with  old  mismated  shoes,  through  one  of  which  his  big  toe 
stuck  out  like  a  turtle's  head,  and  his  black  heel  protruded 
from  the  other  like  the  foot  of  an  elephant.  He  had  a  mouth 
like  a  whole  minstrel  troupe,  and  could  tell  big  fish  stories 
about  shark  and  whale  swimming  up  to  the  landing  looking 
for  the  return  of  Adam  and  Eve.  He  was  always  on  hand 
whenever  the  excursion  boat  brought  a  fresh  load  of  visitors 
to  this  Garden  of  Eden,  where  the  serpent  tempted  Eve  and 
first  brought  sin  into  the  world.  "In  Adam's  fall  we  sinned 
all,"  ends  the  old  darkey's  story.  He  shakes  his  head  and 
sheds  tears  for  a  lost  world,  as  leaning  forward  on  his  cane 
he  holds  out  his  trembling  hand  for  a  quarter. 

In  the  early  days  of  Southern  slavery,  this  old  "hermit- 
age" was  one  of  the  largest  plantations  in  the  vSouth.  It  was 
a  great  market  center  for  slaves  and  mules;  and  as  many  as 
a  thousand  at  a  time  were  kept  there  and  put  to  work,  until 


444  RACY    SKETCHES 

buyers  came  from  other  states,  to  attend  tlic  anction  sales  of 
negroes  and  mules.  The  old  homestead  mansion  of  the 
owner  is  still  standing,  and  many  of  the  §lave  huts  and  old 
buildings  are  seen  in  abandoned  desolation.  The  ancient 
dungeon  is  still  there,  where  fugitive  slaves  were  confined, 
when  captured  by  bloodhounds  in  the  woods.  The  dog  ken- 
nels and  yards  are  still  to  be  seen,  and  also  the  crumbling  old 
nursery  home,  where  the  aged  colored  women  took  care  of 
the  black  babes,  while  their  slave  mothers  were  working  in 
the  fields.  There  stood  the  old  mills  where  thev  ground 
corn  and  hominy  for  food,  and  sugar  cane  for  molasses.  On 
sale  days,  mothers  were  often  sold  away  from  their  young 
babes,  and  taken  into  other  states,  while  the  children  were 
left  to  grow  up  in  slavery  to  be  sold  again.  I  was  told  by 
an  intelligent  Southerner  that  the  civil  war  would  never  have 
occurred,  except  for  the  cases  of  cruelty  practiced  by  the 
heartless  brutality  of  a  few  slave  masters,  which  aroused  the 
humanity-loving  people  of  the  North.  The  war.  he  said,  was 
brought  on  and  waged,  not  so  much  against  human  slavery, 
as  against  the  brutality  and  inhuman  cruelties  of  savage  slave 
masters. 

All  these  old  vSouthern  states  are  fiercely  Democratic. 
They  joined  in  the  war  of  the  South,  and  they  still  glory  in 
the  belief  that  they  were  right  in  fighting  against  the  Union. 
^^  hen  the  \\a.r  broke  out,  they  stopped  raising  cotton  and 
rice,  and  sowed  their  fields  to  dragon's  teeth  to  raise  a  crop 
of  warriors;  and  they  reaped  nothing  but  war  and  misery 
for  four  long  years.  They  still  persist  that  human  slavery 
of  the  lower  races  is  sanctioned  by  the  Bible  and  recognized 
by  the  constitution;  that  the  North  endeavored  by  war  to 
establish  an  anti-slavery  Bible  and  enthrone  an  anti-slavery 
God.  As  an  evidence  of  this  deep-seated  feeling  in  the 
South,  nothing  reveals  it  more  clearly  than  the  address  of  a 
Southern  governor  a  few  years  ago.  He  .said  he  "doubted 
if  the  world  would  ever  see  a  civilization  as  brilliant  as  that 
which  |)crished  in  the  vSouth  a  tliiid  nf  a  centtuy  ago,  with 


IN   T1IT-:   01,n   SLAVE   STATI'.S.  445 

the  close  of  the  war.  Its  while  cohimned  mansions  under  cool- 
spi'eading"  groves,  its  orange  trees  waving  their  white  l)los- 
soms,  and  its  cotton  fields  stretching  away  to  the  horizon, 
alive  with  happy  and  toiling  slaves,  who  sang  as  they  toiled. 
from  early  morn  imtil  close  of  day;  its  pride  and  pomp  and 
rcxelry:  its  splendid  manhood  and  charming  beauty  of  its 
\\'omen  ;  placed  it  in  liistorv  as  the  high  tide  of  earthly  glory." 

"No  nation  rose  so  white  and  fair. 
None  fell  so  pure  of  crime." 

As  we  floated  thoughtfully  down  this  beautiful  stream.  T 
w'as  impressed  with  the  tropical  grandeur  and  g'lory  of  the 
Southern  woods.  Under  the  hot  sun,  whole  forests  seemed 
to  be  bursting  into  bloom.  White  blossoms  sprinkled  the 
trees  like  snow  nakes.  while  here  and  there  the  woods  were 
splashed  with  petals  of  red  like  drops  of  blood.  For  miles 
along  the  shores,  the  gorgeous  grandeur  of  the  woods,  with 
stately  green  oaks  draped  in  hanging  festoons  of  silver  moss, 
waving  palms,  blooming  magnolias,  and  flowering  vines, 
passed  before  our  vision  like  a  majestic  peageant  of  the  for- 
est, in  green,  purple  and  gold.  The  Southern  woods  are  all 
style  and  glory  and  plume  themselves,  in  their  robes  of  pink 
and  white  and  garb  of  everlasting  green,  beneath  mild  eyed 
skies  and  languid  clouds.  "They  toil  not,  neither  do  they 
spin,  yet  Solomon  in  all  his  glory,  was  not  arrayed  like  one 
of  these."  * 

Leaving  this  charming  shore  at  the  hour  of  golden  sunset, 
we  set  sail  down  the  beautiful  river  to  the  sea.  In  the  morn- 
ing- we  shall  take  our  departure  for  our  far  Northern  home 
in  the  land  of  Minnesota. 

In  all  our  three  winters'  vacation  tours  in  the.se  Southern 
climes,  Vv'e  have  learned  that  human  nature  wearies  of  never 
changing  summer  and  e\-erblooming  flowers. 

Down  the  low-er  Mississippi  to  New  Orleans,  and  along 
the  troi)ic  coast  of  the  (itilf  of  Mexico,  to  the  land  of  llowers 


44^  RACY    SKETCHES 

on  the  ocean  shore  of  Florida:  no  change  occurs  to  relieve 
the  dull  and  dreamy  life  of  endless  summer  days. 

The  old  deserted  slave  plantations,  stretching-  away  for 
miles  beneath  a  Southern  sun,  remind  one  of  the  vast  burial 
grounds  of  a  decaying  empire. 

I  long  to  return  to  my  home  in  the  North. 

From  frozen  North  to  sunny  South, 
I've  wandered  from  my  northland  home, 
In  search  of  endless  summer  days, 
Where  winter  seasons  are  unknown. 

Rut  give  me  back  my  northland  home. 
With  all  its  cold  and  stormy  skies, 
I'd  rather  dwell  in  frosty  zone, 
Than  live  where  summer  never  dies. 

Who  would  wish  eternal  sunshine, 
Summer  days  through  all  the  year? 
Who  would  long  for  endless  pleasure. 
Without  a  sorrow  or  a  tear? 

Nay,  give  me  back  my  northland  home, 
Where  changing  seasons  come  and  go, 
With  budding  spring,  and  summer's  bloom; 
And  autumn's  woods,  and  winter's  snow. 


THE   END. 


INDEX. 


Page. 

Abercrombie,     Fort 26 

Absentee     officeholders,     circular     re- 
garding        lOl 

Accident  to  Mrs.  M.  K.  Armstrong. .  426 
After  a  quarter  of  a   century,    a   visit 
to  Washington  and  Richmond 

393-416 

Agency,    Crow   Cr^ek 161 

Algonquins.       (See,     also,     Indians.) 

Territory  occupied  by  the 10 

Successful    conflict   of  the,   with  the 

Sioux   II 

Allen,  J.  M.,  appointment  of,   as  reg- 
ister of  Vermillion  land   oflfjce....     34 

Amendments  to  tree  culture  bill 293 

Ann   Eliza   Young 317 

Anthony,  Susan   B 283 

Anti-trust  meeting  420 

Apportionment  bill    97 

Appropriations  for  naval   expenses  in 

Cuban  waters   271 

Congressional,   for  Dakota  territory  305 
For  Western  grasshopper  sufferers, 

by   congress   344 

Armstrong,   M.    K.,   arrival   in  Yank- 
ton,   Dakota,    territory 29 

Elected   member   of   Dakota   territo- 
rial  council    33 

Elected    speaker    of   Dakota   territo- 
rial legislature   37,  90 

Associate  editor   of  the  Union  and 

Dakotan   40 

Appointed   clerk    of   Dakota  territo- 
rial   supreme    court 41 

Pen  picture   of 69 

Appointed  member   of  the  Wallace 

"Treason"    committee    71 

Candidate    for    speaker    of    Dakota 

legislature    85 

Member  of  committee  to  interview 

Governor  Jayne  87 

Lecture    by     140 

Miscellaneous  references  to 331,  334 


Page. 
Armstrong,    M.    K.,    speeches   by,   on 
behalf  of  the  West,    in  Congress. 

361-392 
Arraignment  of  tl^e  Grant  administra- 
tion by   Congressman  Dawes 307 

Asheville,  N.  C,  visit  to 425 

Ashley,    fur   trader 23 

Astor,  John  Jacob 22 

"Back  Pay  Grab,"   committee  on 265 

Speech  by  Alva  Crocker  on 267 

Speech  by  Alexander  Stephens  on.  266 

Speech  by  Garfield  on 267 

Speech    by     Senator     Flanagan    in 

support  of  278 

Speech  by   "Sunset"   Cox  on 267 

Bad   Lands  of  Dakota,    supposed  or- 
igin of  the 45 

Bonneville,  visit  of,  to  the 46 

Explorations  of  the,  by  Colter 46 

Visit  of  De  Smet  to  the 46 

Visit  of  Eddy  to  the 46 

Humboldt's   opinion  of  the 46 

Hunt's  visit  to  the 46 

Lewis  and  Clark's  expedition,  visit 

of,  to   46 

McKenzie's  exploration  of 46 

Owens'     geological    explorations    in 

the  47 

Visit  of  Parker  to  the 46 

Experiences    of     General    Sully    in 

the  46 

Barnes,   Judge,   charges  against 279 

Battle  of  White  Stone  Hills 38 

Battlefield  of   Fredericksburg 401 

Of  Cold  Harbor 408 

Of  Malvern  Hill 413 

Near   Richmond    400 

Beecher,  Henry  Ward,  lecture  by 285 

Bell,    A.    J.,    candidate    for    congres- 
sional delegate  32 

Bennett,    G.    G.,    associate  justice    of 

Dakota    352 

Betts,  H.  D.,  pen  picture  of 68 


448 


INDEX. 


Page. 

Big  Sioux  river,  bridge  over 314 

Bill,      making      Yankton      permanent 

capital  of  Dakota  Territory 63 

Homestead    exemption    63 

Trie  '"Nigger"   '>'?,  70 

Regulating  marriages  70 

Apportionment    65.  66,  71,  91 

Divorce   71,  93 

For  granting  lands  for  railroads  in 

Dakota    Territory 217 

For  division  of  Dakota  territory 247 

Extending  time  for  payment  of  pre- 
emption claims  in  Dakota  Terri- 
tory      253 

Legalizing    railroad    bonds 254 

Witty    Spech  by   "Sunset"    Cox  on 

tariff    261 

To  establish  territory  of  Pembina..  269 
Introduction    of,    into    U.    S.    con- 
gress,   to   control    interstate    com- 
merce       297 

Increasing  the  currency 317 

To   purchase  the   Black   Hills   from 

the     Indians 218 

For    the    relief    of    settlers    on    the 

Fort   Randall   reservation 3141  325 

Tariit    328 

To  admit  Colorado  as  a  state 339 

To    admit    New   Mexico    as   a   state 

329.  350 
Bingham,  Congressman,  speech  by..  244 
Bishop  of  Greenland,  explorations  by  6 
Bismarck,   N.   D.,   land   office  located 

at    314.  318,  321 

Black    Hills   of    Dakota,    bill    to    pur- 
chase the,   from    the   Indians 218 

Agitation  in  U.  S.  congress  looking 
to    acquirement   of   the,    from   the 

Indians    357 

Exploration  of  the,  by  General  Cus- 
ter      327 

Geological   survey  of  the 45 

Opening   of  the,   advocated   by   Dr. 

Hayden    235 

Opening  of  the,  advocated  by  Chas. 

Collins     247 

Timber    and    mineral    resources    of 

the    % 45 

Visited  by  Lieutenant  Warren 44 

Blaine,    J.    G.,    controversy    of,    with 

Garfield    .^ 322 

Elected  speaker  of  the  U.  S.  house 

of  representatives   263 

Passage-at-arms    between,    and    Ben 

Butler    ?i2 

Incidental   reference  to 332 


Page . 
Bliss,   P.,   first  territorial  chief  justice    31 

Candidacy   of,    for   congress 146 

Bloodless   duel,   a 422 

"Bone  Necklace,"   speech  of 167 

Bonneville,  explorations  of 46 

Booge,     C.     P.,     candidate    for     cpn- 

gressional   delegate 32 

Boudinot,    Cclonel    300 

Bouadaries  of  Dakota  Territory,  con- 
troversy  with   Great   Britain   over 

northern    22 

At  date  of  territorial  organization..!,  31 
f^n     organization     of    Territory     of 

Minnesota    23 

On     organization     of     Territory     of 

Nebraska    26 

I'nder   France    14 

Under  Spain    ....   4...     13 

Boutwell,  Senator,  speech  by,  on  the 

currency    question    281 

Bowen,    E.    M.,    appointment    of,    as 

receiver  of  Bismarck  land  office 321 

Boyle,    J.    W.,    appointed   receiver   at 

Vermillion  land  office .38,138 

Pen   picture   of 63 

Bramble,   D.   T.,    pen   picture   of 63 

Brookings,  Judge,    as  a  homesteader.     52 
Elected    to    the    Dakota    legislature 

33>  37.  41,  6S 

Brown,   Congressman   551 

Brule  Creek  Massacre 41 

Burbank,    Governor,    incidental    men- 
tion of    20S,  304 

Clerk  of  U.  S.  senate  election  com- 
mittee      339 

Curdick,   Marshal    279 

Burgess,    L.,    member   of   Dakota   ter- 
ritorial legislature  70 

Pen    picture   of 70 

Burleigh,  W.  A.,  appointed  agent  for 

the    Yanktons    31 

Elected  delegate  to  congress 40 

Incidental   mention  ot 53,146 

Contests     Armstrong's     election     as 

delegate    234 

Butler,    Benjamin    F.,  civil  rights  bill 
introduced  into  U.  S.  congress  by  276 
Introduction     of    a     "Pioneer     Con- 
gressman"    to     20S 

Miscellaneous  references  to 

317.  332,  335,  351.  4«3 
Presents    petition    to    congies-s    for 

woman's   suflfrage   243 

Speech   by,    in   favor    of  civil   rights 

bill    ..7.S 

Speech  by,  on  the  "Ku  Klux  Bill".  211 


INDEX. 


449 


Page. 


Cain,  Congressman,  speech  by,  in  de- 
fense   of    the    negro 

Campbell,  C.  T.,  methods  of,  in  early- 
Dakota    politics    53,  S6 

Campbell,   Robert 

Canon   Kingsley,  lecture  by 

Cannon,   Delegate   317, 

Capital    of   South   Carolina,   the 

Carpenter,  Senator,  president  pro  tem 

of  the  U.  S.   senate 

Catlin,  visit  by,  to  Mandan  villages.. 
Description    by,    of    first    steapiboat 

on  upper  Missouri   

Carver,   Jonathan,   explorations   by..  10 

Cedar,  Fort,  establishrr.ent  of 

Centennial,   appropriation  bill   for   the 

Charleston,    S.    C,   visit   to 

Charlevoix,   explorations  by 

Chicago,    early   trip    to i 

Allusion  to   

"Choctaw  Indian  Claims"  fraud 

Choteau,  Pierre,  pilots  the  first  steam- 
boat to  Fort  Pierre 

Circular  regarding  non-residtnt  of- 
ficeholders     

Civil   code  of  Dakota 

Civil    rights    bill 328,  3Si,  353, 

Clark.     (See   Lewis  and   Clark.) 

Coal   deposits   in   Dakota 

Cole,  Austin,  member  of  Dakota  ter- 
ritorial council   

Collins,  Chas.,  advocacy  by,  of  the 
opening  cf  Black  Hills  to  settle- 
ment     

Colorado,  bill  to  admit,   as  a   state... 

Columbia,   S.   C,  visit  to 

Columbus,    incidental  mention  of 

Commodore   Coulson    

Commission,     Indian,      councils     and 
treaties   with    Northwest   tribes.  161- 
Congress,   U.   S.,   a  new  member  in.. 
James    G.     Blaine,     elected    speaker 

of     

Closing   days   of 

Mannerisms   of  members  of 

Noisy    members    of 

Obstructionist    members    of 

Pen  pictures  of  prominent  members 

of    

Useless  members   of 

Congressional  appropriations  for  Da- 
kota  territory    

Delegate,    General   Todd   elected   as 

Z2,  8.t 

M.   K.  Armstrong's  term  of  service 

as    207. 


.  57 

299 
331 
436 


2.i 
20-' 
438 

II 

82-185 
410 

3S5 


270 

67 
3.':4 


6S 


247 
350 
436 
6 
291 

174 
210 

263 
256 

258 
259 
258 

23^ 
259 

30s 

.  91 

J58 


Coiiklin,  Senator,  great  speech  of,  on 

Louisiana   question    335 

Pen   picture  of 238 

Contest    resolution,    Dakota    congres- 
sional      369 

Contractors,    humorous    race    of    Da- 
kota       r46 

Convention,    spiritualist    421 

National   Woman's  suffrage 283 

Cook,    General,    in    command    in    the 

Northwest    96,  90 

Coon  hunting  in  the  South 426 

Coulson  &   Co.   awarded  freight  con- 
tract  by    U.    S.    government 295 

Counting  the  presidential  vote Z97 

Cox,    "Sunset,"   pen  picture  of 242 

Recognition    by    the    United    States 
of  Cuban  belligerency  favored  by  268 

Speech  by,  on  "back  pay  grab" 267 

Witty  speech  by,   on  the  tariff 261 

Criminal    code    of    Dakota 67,98 

Crew.      F.      B.,      master     of     Dakota 

Grange  Association 284 

Crow  Creek  Agency 161 

Currency   bill,    debate  in  congress   on 

the    302,  317.  32S 

Veto   by    President   Grant    of   the...  319 
Cushing,     Caleb,     nomination    of,     to 

U.    S.    supreme   bench 280 

Custer,   General,  exploration  of  Black 

Hills  by   327 

Dakota,   origin  of  the  word 12 

Territory,    early    history    of 1-57 

Civil   code   of 67 

Criminal  code  of 67,  93 

Early    sketches    of    pioneer    legisla- 
tures and   Indian   wars  in 60-153 

Attacks    on,     by     Iowa    editors    re- 
pelled       14S 

Bill  granting  lands  for  railroads  in.  217 

Arming  the  national   guard  of 218 

Land  legislation   for,   in   U.    S.   con- 
gress      219 

Postal    facilities    f9r 231 

Land     grant     for 247 

Division  of  territory  of. 217,  247,  269,  353  _ 

New  land  office  for 253 

Deficiency   appropriation    for 253 

Bin  extending  time  for   payment  of 

pre-emption    claims    in 253 

Conflict   over   judgship   in 264 

J.   L.   Pennington,  appointed  gover- 
nor   of 2^9 

Indian    wir,    claims    of 294 

Congressional   appropriations  for 

305.  321.  336,  354,  357 
River,    survey   of 314 


45o 


INDEX. 


Page. 
Dakota,   speech  on  behalf  of  North..  385 

Visitors   in    Washington 339 

Cavalry,    organization    of 33.7- 

Cavalry,  active  service  of 

77,  loS,  no,  122,  124 
Southern  Railroad,  charter  for.  .218,  234 

Railroad,  legalizing  bonds  for 254 

Dakota    Territorial    Legislature,    first 

session  of  33.  5i 

Members   of   early 33- 37.  3S.  40,  4i.- 9° 

Governor's  message  to  the  first 62 

Printing    for.    favoritism    shown    in 

.awarding    contracts   for 62 

Direct   tax   paid   from    general   gov- 
ernment   grant    for    support   of...     63 

Traitorous    speaker    of 64 

The  "Fighting  House"   of  the 65 

Pen    pictures     of    members    of    the 

council   of   the 67.92 

Pen    pictures    of     members    of    the 

house    of    the 69,93 

Member  of,  charged  with  treason..     71 

Railro&d  legislation  in 76 

Closing   scenes  of  the  first 75-77 

Second  session   of  the 84 

Contested  seats  in  the 83 

New  cnpitol  for  the 86 

Split  in  the 86 

Adjournment  of  the  second 97 

Opening  of  the  third  session  of 138 

Governors'    messages   to   the.  .62,  87,  139 
Dawes.    Congressman,    leader    of    Re- 
publicans in  house 241 

Arraignment    of    the    Grant    admin- 
istration  by    307 

Candidate  for   U.   S.   senator 310 

Defeat  of,   for  the   U.   S.   senate 316 

Incidental    references    to 302,332 

Decoration    Day    in    Washington 331 

Delegate,    Congressional.      (See    Con- 
gressional Delegate.) 

De  Smet,  explorations  of 25,46 

De  Soto,  explorations  by 9 

Dewey,    Surveyor    General,    estimates 

of,  for  Dakota  surveys 279 

Distillery   above   the   clouds,    a 435 

Duel,  a  bloodless 422 

Duluth,   a   visit  to 193 

Durion,  M.,  interpreter  for  Lewis  and 

Clark    i IS 

Burial    place    of 16 

Early  history  of  Dakota  Territory 1-57 

Early  sketches  of  pioneer  legislatures 

and   Indian   wars ^0153 

Eden,   a   modern 443 

Education,   bills  granting  lands  for...  219 


Page. 

Edmunds,    Newton,   appointed  gover- 
nor     38,  138 

Elections,     early     Dakota     legislative 
and  delegate 

30,  32,  34.3S.  40,  41.  84.  12S,  141 

At  Red  River  of  the   North 179 

Courtesies  of  early 55-57 

Reference  to  congressional,  of  1874.  332 
Troubles    in    Louisiana   arising   out 
of     343.  345.  348.  351 

Elliott,    Congressman,   speech  by 211 

Reply  of,  to  Alexander  Stephens...  276 

Emineza,    founding   of 27 

Explorers — 

Eric    Rauda    5 

Thorwald    5 

Thornstein 5 

Tornfim    5 

Gudlief    6 

Jon    6 

Bishop    of    Greenland 6 

Columbus    6 

Prince    Madawe    6 

Catlin 7 

Nicollet     7 

.Toques    7 

Raymbault     7 

French  fur  traders 8 

Hennepin     8,  9,  11 

De  Soto   9 

Marquette    9 

Joliet    9 

La  Salle    9 

Viscaino    9 

Gray   10 

Le  Sueur    10 

Jonathan    Carver    10,  12 

Shea    10 

Schoolcraft    10 

Charlevoix    n 

Lewis   and   Clark 14-20 

Hunt    21 

Humboldt    21 

La    Fond    21 

Vasconnell    21 

McKenzie    21 

De  Smet  25 

Wairen    27 

Hayden    2y 

Bonneville  ...  4^ 

Parker    46 

Falls    of    the    Missouri,     discovery    of 

the,  by  Lewis  and  Clark i? 

Tradition  of   19 

Fargo,   land   office   at 315 

Farnsworth,     Congressman,     pen     p:c- 
ture  of  243 


INDEX. 


451 


rage. 

Ferry,    Senator,    speech    by,    favoring 

"back   pay"    278 

Fillmore,   e.x- President,  death  of 300 

Financial   legislation    27.2 

Troubles,   national    275 

Fishing   in    the    Potomac 326 

Flandreau,   founding  of ly 

Flanagan,  Senator,  speech  of,   in  sup- 
port   of   "back   pay" 278 

Incidental    mention    of 33s 

Fort    Cedar,    erection    of 2^ 

Lookout,  erection  of 23 

Pierre,    erection    of 23 

Union,    erection  of 23 

Snelling,   arrival   of   the   first    steam- 
boat at  24 

Abercrombie,   incidental   mention  of    26 

Randall,    erection   of 26 

Pierre,  arrival  of  the  first  steamboat 

at    161 

Randall    reservation,    bill    for    relief 

of  settlers  on 314,  323 

Rice,  erected  by  Generals  Sully  and 

Sibley     39 

Sully,  visited  by  Indian  commission 

in  1866   161 

French,  ex-Judge   304 

French,    influence    of    contact    of    In- 
dians with  the II 

Fur  traders,  explorations  by 8 

Frontier    elections,    "wide    open    and 

mighty   interesting"    52,57 

Settlements,   speech  in  congress,  by 

M.  K.  Armstrong  on  relief  of 37S 

Galpin,    Major,    pioneer   gold   miner. .     96 

Incidental   mention  of 105 

Garfield,    Congressman,    chairman    of 

comnittee    on    appropriations 244 

Speech  by,  on  "salary  grab" 267 

Controversy   with   Blaine 322 

General   references   to 333,  338 

General   Sherman,  .<;peech   by,   at  con- 
vention of  Mexican  war  veterans.  285 
G'eason,    W .    E.,    appcintment  of,    as 
first    attorney    general    of    Dakota 

Territory    31 

Coebel  legislature,  reference  to 419 

Gold   discoveries   in  the   western  part 

of   Dakota   territory 37 

^Mining,  formation  of  companies  for 

96,  los,  107 

Gregory,  J.    Shaw,  pen  picture  of (A 

Grace    Greenwood,    lecture   by 299 

Grant,    President,    introduction    of    a 
"Pioneer   Congressman"   to 20S 


Page. 

Opinion  on  territorial  appointments  270 

New  Year's  receptions   of 273,341 

(jrasshopper  sufieiers,  relief  of 344 

Gray,  explorations  by 10 

"Grey  Face"   134 

Gudlief,    explorations    by 6 

Hagaman,  K.  M.,  elected  clerk  of  se- 
ceding house  86' 

Elected  clerk  of  regular  house 90 

Departure  for   the  gold  fields  of 114 

Incidental    mention   of 318 

Hanson,   J.    R.,    chief  clerk   first   Da- 
kota   territorial    legislature 33.  61 

Hardie,    Inspector    General,    engaged 

in  looking  up  Dakota  war  claims.  318 
Harlan,  A.  J.,  elected  speaker  of  sec- 
ond Dakota  legislature 36 

Harris,  C.  J.  B 291 

Hayden,   Dr.   I.,   explorations  of 27,45 

Opening  of  Black   Hills  region  ad- 
vocated by 235. 

Hennepin,   explorations  by 8,9,11 

Henry  w'^ard  Beecher,  lecture  by 285. 

High,  August  291 

Hill,    G.    D.,   first   territorial   surveyor 

general    3' 

Historic   scenes  of  early  empire 4x3 

Hoar,  Judge   310.  311 

Hoffman,  H.  A.,  appointed  agent  for 

the  Poncas   •. 3r 

Hollenbeck,    W.   K 32+ 

Hot  Springs,  N.  C 426 

Howard,  Charles  290- 

Hubbard,    A.    W.,    with     Upper    Mis- 
souri Land  Company 29 

Incidental  mention  of 202 

Hudson   Bay    Company 23 

Humboldt,  explorations  of .21,  46 

Humorous   Race  of   Dakota   Contract- 
ors       146^ 

Hunt,   explorations  of 21 

Hutchinson,  John,  appointed  first  ter- 
ritorial  secretnry    31 

Governor   of   Dakota 122 

Personal  mention  318 

Idaho,  organization  of  territory  of 25 

Inauguration  of  President  McKinley.  40^ 
Indian     Commission,      councils     and 
treaties  of,  with  Northwest  tribes 

161-174 
Indians — 

Traditions  of  i-S-  " 

Authentic  history   of S-9 

Supposed   origin    9 


452 


INDEX. 


Page . 
Indians — 
Tribal     divisions     in    original    terri- 
tory  of  Louisiana lo 

Migrations  and  conflicts  of 10-13 

Superstitions   iS>  20 

Treaties   with    24,  25,  ]6i-i7.: 

Massacre  by   3S 

J)efeat  of,  by  General  Sully 33 

Outbreaks-  of,  panic  caused  by 79,  81 

liaising  trocps  to  quell 83 

Expeditions  to  subdue 

104,  108-116,  121,  14+ 

Outrages  by   124,  126,  130 

War  with,   speech   by   M.    K.   Arm- 
strong  on   the 37'^ 

TVaining  school  for 416 

International   Workingmen's   Associa- 
tion, petition  by,  to  congress  06..  279 

Iowa,  organization  of  territory  of 25 

Dakota     repels     newspaper     attacks 

from    14S 

lowas.     (bee,  also,   Indians.) 

Origin  of  tribe -2 

Jacobson,  J.,   election   of,   as  meniber 
of   Dakota  territorial   legislature..     70 

Jasper,   Rev.  John  407 

Jayne,  Wm.,   first  territorial   governor 

of   Dakota    3i 

Elected  to  congress,  but  unseated. 34,  84 

Pugilistic   encounter   of 74 

Incidental  mention   of 146,318 

Jefferson,   President,  Lewis  and  Clark 

expedition   sent   out   by 14 

John  Jacob  Astor 22 

Joliet,  explorations  by 9 

Joques,  explorations  by 7 

Journey    Up    the   Missouri    by    steam- 
boat    161-174 

Hardships    suffered    during    a    jour- 
ney   to    the    Red     River    of    the 

North    IS9 

To    Sioux    Falls   and   red   pinestone 

region  in  1864 157-160 

Judge  Tufts   318 

Ka-la-ka-u-a,    visit    of,     to     Washing- 
ton     336,  338 

Kellogg,  "The  Sage  of  the  Sioux  Val- 
ley"         53 

Kelly,    W.    D.,    Congressman,    speech 

by 24:2 

Reference    to    335 

Kenntrly,     II.     A.,     appointment     of, 

register  Vermillion  land  office....    31 
King,    Congressman,    connection    of, 

with   Pacific  Mail   scandal 347.348 

King    of    the    Sandwich    Islands,    to 

Washington,    visit   of    the 336,338 


Page. 
Kingsbury,    C    W.,    editor    of    Union 

and  Dakotaa   40 

Election  of,  as  member   of  the  Da- 
kota  territorial   legislature 38,40,41 

Kingsley,  Canon,  lecture  by 299 

Kiter,  W.   F.,  as  applicant  for  public 

printing   271 

Knox,   Comptroller   321 

Knoxville,    Tenn 42.S 

La   Barge,    Captain,    early   navigation 

of  Missouri  by 161 

La  Fond,  explorations  of 21 

Land   grants,    speech   in   congress    by 

M.  K.  Armstrong  on  railroad 361 

Land  office  at  Bismarck,  N.  D 314 

La  Salle,  explorations  by 9 

Leavitt,  Lieutenant  i34 

Legislature,  Dakota  Territorial.     (See 
Dakota  Territorial  Legislature.) 

Le  Sueur,   explorations  by 10 

Lewis  and   Clark,   explorations  of 14-20 

Bad  Lands,   visited  by 46 

Libby  Prison  406 

"Liberal"    Convention,   nomination   of 
tlorace    Greeley    for    president    by 

the   250 

News  of  the,  at  Washington 251 

Little  Crow   105,109 

Lockwood,   Mrs 283 

"Log-Roller"   letters,   a  factor   in  the 

second  delegate  contest 34 

Reference  to    73 

Lookout,  Fort,   erection  of 23 

Louisiana     election     troubles,     refer- 
ences to  the 343,  345.  348,  351 

Louisville,    Ky.,  visit  to :,.. 419-423 

Luce,    Lieutenant,    muster   in    of   Da- 
kota Cavalry  by 72 

Mail  contracts  293 

Mammoth   cave 423 

Mandans.     (See,  also,  Indians.) 

Supposed   origin    7 

Marquette,  explorations  by 9 

McBride,    J.    C,    member   of    Dakota 

territorial  legislature   70 

Appointment    member   of   the    Wal- 
lace  "Treason"    committee 71 

McCreery,  Senator,  humorous  speech 

by  286 

Interstate   transportation    bill    intro- 
duced by 297 

McKenzie,  explorations  of 21,46 

McKinley,  inauguration  of  President.  409 

Medary,  founding  of 27 

Destruction  of,  by  Indians 28 

Mellish,     Congressman,     insanity     of 

323.  325 


INDEX. 


453 


Page. 

INlennonites      312 

Mexican    War,   veterans    of   the,   con- 
vention of  284 

Missouri     Fvir     Company 22 

jNliller,    Governor,    incidental    mention 

of     , 318 

Appointed  register  of  Bismarck  land 

office    321 

Miner,    Captain,    commander    of    Da- 
kota   Cavalry    108 

Minnesota,     organization    of    territory 

of    25 

^Missouri,   discovery  of   the  source  of.     20 
Valley,  resources  and  products  of.. 48-51 
Falls  of  the.     (See  Falls  of  the  Mis- 
souri.) 
Montana,  organization  of  territory  of.     25 

Moody,    G.    C,    Col I1 

Morton,   Senator,   pen  picture  of 238 

Advocacy  by,  of  increased  currency 

for  the  South  and   \\'est 281 

Incidental   mention   of 281 

Mount  Vernon,  visit  to 248 

]\1ouataineer,  a  speri:ren  North  Caro- 
lina       427 

TVational     guard    of    Dakota,    arming 

the    21S 

National    Woman's    Su-JTragc    conven- 
tion,   meeting    in    Washington    of 

the    283 

Nebraska,     organization     of     territory 

of    23,  26 

IVegro  revival   meeting 429 

''Niarger  Bill,"  the,  in  the  Dakota  ter- 
ritorial legislature    66,70 

New    Mexico,    as    a    state,   bill    to    ad- 
mit     3^9.  355 

New   Years   in   Washington    City.  .27:5,  311 
Newspaper,   first  in  Dakota   territory.     27 

Neiv  York  City,  a  visit  to 195 

Nicollet,    explorations  by 7 

^'ight    sessions    in   congress 354 

ISIon-resident      officeholders,      circular 

regarding    270 

North  Dakota,  speech  on  behalf  of...  385 
Northern    Pacific    Railroad    Company, 
opposition   by   the,    to   division   of 

Dakota   Territory    282 

Construction   of    201 

f^ands,    settlers  on 324 

Northwest    Fur    Company 23 

Norwegian     settlements     in'    Dakota, 

panic  in,  caused  by  Indian  scare.,   iii 
(imahas.     (See,  also,   Indians.) 

Kegion  occupied  by  the ti,  12 

( 'jibways.      (See,   also,    Indians.) 

P'irst    visited   by    Europeans 7 


Page . 
Old  North  Carolina  mountaineer,  an.  427 
Organization  of  Dakota  Territory,   ef- 
forts to  secure 30.31 

Osages.      (See,    also,    Indians,    tradi- 
tions of)    4 

Otoes.     (See,  also,  Indians.) 

Region   occupied    by   the 11 

Origin    of   the 12 

Owens,    Professor,    geological    report 

of,  on  Bad  Lands 47 

Oregon,  organization  of  territory  of..     25 
Pacific    Mail    Steamship    investigation 

338,  341.  344,  347.  348,  355 

Parker,   explorations   of 46 

Parsons,    Congrcssrrian    333 

Patent  office,  visit  to  the 236 

Frauds   356 

Patrick   Henry    403 

Patrons  of  husbandry 284 

Pembina,  visit  to,  at  an  early  day 179 

Land  office  removed  from,  to  Fargo  279 
Bill  to  establish  territory  of. 269,  352,  356 

Penimican,   method  of  preparing 181 

Pennington,    J.    L.,    appointed   gover- 
nor   of    Dakota 269 

Incidental    mention    of 331 

Pen   Pictures   in   Congress — 

Of  Senator  Schurz 237 

Of  Senator   Morton 23S 

Of  Senator  Conklin 238 

Of  Senator  Sumner 23S 

Of   Senator  Trumbull 239 

Of    Mr.    Voorhees 230 

Of   Mr.    Dawes 241 

Of   "Sunset"    Cox 242 

Of  W.   D.  Kelly 242 

Of  Fernando  V/ood 242 

Phillips,    Wendell,    lecture    by 299 

Ficotte,    fur  trader 26 

Pierre,    Fort   23,26 

Prairie    dogs,    colony    of,    noted    b}' 

Lewis  and  Clark 17 

"Printer's   Festival"    104 

Pinchbeck,  (Governor,  contest  for  seat 

in    U.   S.   senate 285 

Pine  Forests,  a  visit  to  the,  of  North- 
ern   Minnesota    186 

Of  the   Black  Hills 45 

Pinney,    G.    M.,    speaker    first    territo- 
rial  legislature    33- 61 

Resignation   of   66 

Pioneer  Congressman.   A — 

Arrival  of,  in  Washington 207 

Is   introduced   to   the   president 208 

"Learning  the  ropes" 210,220 

Has   his  seat  contested 233 

Visit  of,   to  patent  office 236 

Is  confirmed  in  seat 245 


454 


INDEX. 


Page, 
roncas.     (See,  also,  Indians.) 

Origin    of    the 13 

Superstitions    of    the 21 

Removal  of  the,  to  new  reservation.     2'i 

Treaty   with   the 28 

Population  of  Dakota,  first  census...     32 
Table  showing  the  Indian,   of  Dako- 
ta   in    1866 50 

Potter,   J.    F.,   appointed   governor   of 

Dakota    106 

Powers,    Professor,    lecture   by 300 

President   Grant.      (See    Grant,    Presi- 
dent.) 
President  McKinley,  inauguration  of.  409 
President   of   Dakota   territorial   coun- 
cil, J.   H.   Shober  elected 33,  61 

Enos    Stutsman    elected. 36,  39,  40,  84,  139 

George    Stickncy    elected 42 

Presidential    vote,    counting   the 399 

Prince  Madawe,  explorations  by 6 

Proctor,    Professor,    lectures   by 299 

Pnett,  A.  W.,  member  of  Dakota  ter- 
ritorial   house    , 70 

Candidate  for   speaker 85 

Elected  speaker  of  seceding  house..     86 
Printing,   favoritism   shown   in   letting 

Dakota  territorial   62 

Contest  among  newspaper   men   for 

Dakota  territorial    271 

Racine     and     Armain     Mining     and 

Transportation  Company   96 

Racy  sketches   419 

Railroad  land   grants,   speech  in   con- 
gress by  M.   K.   Armstrong  on 361 

Railroad  legislation   313.  3-M,347 

Ramsey,    Senator,    bill    to   divide   Da- 
kota territory,  introduced  into  U. 

S.   senate  by  269 

Randall,    Fort    26 

Reservation,    bill    for    the    relief    of 

settlers  on  the 314,325 

Randall,  Sam,   Congressman 333,336 

Rauda,    Eric,   explorations  by 5 

Raymbault,   explorations  by 7 

Red  pipestone  quarry.     (See  Indians; 
also   journey   to    Sioux    Falls   and 
Red  Pipestone  Quarry.) 
Red    River    of    the    North,    origin    of 

name     11 

Early   surveys   of 174 

Methods  of  transportation  at 181 

Election   contest   at   the....' 179 

Early  settlers  on  the .' 179 

Revisited    .' 199 

Rencontre    23 

Resolution,  Dakota  congressional  con- 
test      369 


Page. 

Revival   meeting,  negro 429, 

Richmond,   Va.,   visit  to  city   of 402 

Rickaiees.     (See,  also,  Indians.) 

Superstitions    of    21 

River    survey,    Dakota 314 

Robbins,     Congressman,     speech     by, 

against  the  negro 288 

Robeson,    Secretary,    appropriation   to 
defray  naval  expenses  incurred  by  271 

Rocky   Mountain    Fur   Company 23 

Rolette,  Joe,   incidental   mention   of..  179 
San     Domingo,     differences     between 
President  Grant  and  Senator  Sum- 
ner on  213 

Salary   reduction    in    the    U.    S.    con- 
gress      271 

Santees.     (See,   also,   Indians.) 
Removal  of  the,  from  Minnesota  to 

Dakota    38,  103 

Sawyer,  Col.  James  S 41,  45 

Schoolcraft,    explorations   by 10 

Schurz,   Senator   346 

Pen   picture   of 237 

Scott,    General,    first    treatj'    with    In- 
dians    west     of     the      Mississippi 

made    by    24^ 

Scott,  Thomas,  opinion  of,  on  mone- 
tary  crisis    27s 

Settlements,  early,   in  Dakota 29 

Speech    in    congress    on    behalf    of 

frontier,  by  M.  K.  Armstrong 378 

Sener,   Congressman   333. 

Shaffer,    W.    F.,    first    territorial    mar- 
shal         31 

Shea,  explorations  by lo 

Sheridan,    General    408 

.Sheyennes.     (See,   also,   Indians.) 

Region   occupied   bj- 11 

Shober,  J.   11.,  pioneer  leader 2S 

President    of    legislative    council 33 

Elected  president  of  the  ^irst  Dakota 

territorial  council   6r 

Shumaker,    Congressman,    connection 
of,    with    Pacific    Mail    Steamship 

frauds    34-t.  34? 

Sibley,  General,  defeat  of  savages  by.  117 

Silver,   Harmon   269,279 

Sioux.     (See,  also,   Indians.) 

First   mention   of,  by   explorers 7 

Supposed   origin   of 10 

Territory   occupied    by 10 

Origin   of  name 7,12 

Massacre  by  35 

Sioux    Falls.      (See,    also,    Journey   to 
Sioux    Falls    and    Red    Pipestone 
(Quarry.) 
Founding  of    27 


INDEX. 


455 


Page. 

'Sioux   Falls,  abandonment  of 35,  157 

Retreat  of  Indians  to 108 

Sketches    of    travel    and    early    hard- 
ships     157-204 

Journey  to   Sioux   Falls  and  the  red 

pipestone  region    157 

Jovirney   up  the   Missovu-i   bj'   steam- 
boat        161 

Early   surveys   of   the    Red   River   of 

the   North    174 

An  early  trip  to  Chicago 182 

A  visit  to  the  pine  forests 186 

A    journey    from    Yankton    to    St. 

Paul    188 

Up   the    Mississippi    and   over    Lake 

Superior    191 

A  trip  to  New  York 195 

Northern    Dakota   revisited 199 

Smith,     B.     M.,     appointed     clerk     of 

second   Dakota  legislature 36 

Snelling,    Fort    24 

Somers,  Jim,   a  pioneer  legislator 52 

:  Southern     battlefields.       (See     Battle- 
fields.) 

Southern    politics    431 

Speaker     of     the     Dakota     territorial 
house,    G.   M.    Finney   elected. ..  .33,  6i 

J.    L.    Tiernan    elected 66 

M.    K.  Armstrong  elected 37.90 

A.   W.   Fuett  elected 39 

W.  Vt'.   Brookings  elected 41 

G.  B.   Bigelovif  elected 43 

Speeches    in    U.    S.    congress,    by    M. 
K.    Armstrong,    on    behalf    of    the 

West    361-392 

On  railroad   land  grants 361 

On  the  Indian  war 370 

On    relief   of   frontier    settlements...  378 

On  behalf  of  North  Dakota 385 

Speer,     Congressman     338 

"Spirit  Hill,"   description  of,  by  Cap- 
tain   Lewis    14 

Spiritualist   convention    421 

Sprague,  Senator,  pen  picture  of 282 

Stanage,     John,    member    of    Dakota 

territorial  legislature   70 

Pen    picture    of 70 

Stewart,   Senator,   speech  by,  favoring 

"back  pay"   278 

Stickney,     George,     elected    president 

of    Dakota    territorial    council 42 

.Stanton,    Mrs   Cady 283 

t  Stephens,  Alexander — 

Pen   picture   of ?.66 

Speech     in     favor     of      "back     pay 

grab"    266 

.  Speech     by,     in    opposition     to     the 
civil    rights    bill 276 


rage. 
St.    Paul,    journey    from    Yankton    to 

188-190 

Strike-the-Ree,    speech   by 16 

Stuart,    General,    incidental    reference 

to    408 

Stutsman.   Enos,  engagement  of,  with 
Upper  Missouri  Land  Company..    29 
Election   of,    as   member   of    Dakota 

territorial    council    .■?3.  37>  38.  40,  41 

Appointment   of,   as   governer's   pri- 
vate secretary   34 

Elected  president  of  the  council 

36,  39.  40,  84,  139 
Appointment   of,    as    U.   S.    treasury 

agent     S3 

Fen    picture   of 67 

Election    to    legislature    from    Red 

River    district    180 

Sugar    Loaf    Hill 17 

Sully,     General,     stationed     at     Fort 

«    Pierre   in   1856 26 

Second    campaign    of 39,  i44 

First  campaign  of,  against  the  Sioux 

38,  121,  132,  135 

Fort,  visit  to 161 

Spink,   S.   L.,  incidental  mention  ol..     54 

Contests  seat  tor  delegate 234 

Sumne/,  Senator,  removal  of,  from 
head  of  foreign  relations  commit- 
tee     : 213 

Pen   picture   of 23S 

Death  of   301 

Sun   Dance,    description  of 163,  166,  169 

Supreme  Court,  first  session  of  Da- 
kota  territorial    41 

Susan   B.   Anthony 283 

Tariff  bill    328 

Witty  speech  by   "Sunset"    Co.x  on 

the    261 

i'erritorial  legislature,  Dakota.  (See 
Dakota  Territorial   Legislature.) 

Thornstein,    explorations   by s 

Thorwald,    explorations   by 5 

Thurman,  Senator   334,343 

Tiernan,  J.  L.,  speaker  of  the  Da- 
kota territorial   house 66 

Timber    culture    act,     amendment     of 

the 272 

Todd,  J.  B.  S.,  with  General  Har- 
ney's  command    26 

Negotiates     treaties     with     the     In- 
dians         28 

With     the     Upper     Missouri     Land 

Company    29 

Selection     of.     to    convey    memorial 

to   Washington   30 

Election  of,  as  delegate  to  congress 
from    Dakota    Territory 32,34,84 


45( 


INDEX 
Page 


Todd,    J.    15.    S.,    appointment    of, 
brigadier   general   rejected   by  the 

senate  io6 

Incidental   reference  to 146 

Tornlim,   explorations  by 5 

Traske,    Josiah    C,    appointed    public 

printer    32 

Treaties — 

Of  Davenport   24 

Of  Traverse   des   Sioux 25 

General    Harney's    26 

With    the    Poncas 28 

With  the   Yanktons 28 

With    the    Assiniboins    and    Moun- 
tain  Crow    171 

Travel  and  early   hardships,    sketches 

of    157-204 

Tree  culture  bill,  amendments  to. 293,  598 
Tripp,      Captain,      military      company 

raised  by    83 

Incidental   mention   of 115 

On  active  service 126,134 

Trumbull,  Senator,  pen  picture  of 239 

Tufts,   James,   appointed  secretary   of 
Dakota   territorial   council. 33,  36,  61,  81 
Appointed  auditor  of  U.  S.  military 

accounts    9? 

Incidental  mention  of 105,318 

Union,   Fort,   erection  of 23 

Union  Pacific   Railroad,   investigating 

construction    of    298,  314 

Union   party    34,  131 

Up    the    Mississippi    and    over    Lake 

Superior    191-195 

Vasconnell,    explorations   of 21 

Vermillion,    founding    of 30 

Opening  of  land   office   at 34 

Veterans    of    Mexican    "U'ar,    conven- 
tion of  284 

V^eto    of    currency    bill    by    President 

Grant    319 

Viscaino,    explorations    by 9 

Visit  to  Southern   battlefields 400 

To  Charleston,  S.   C 438 

To  Columbia,   S.    C 43& 

To    Richmond,    Va 402 

To  Washington,   D.   C 395 

To    Louisville,    Ky 419 

To  Asheville,   N.   C 425 

Voorhees,    Congressman,    pen    picture 

of    239 

Waldron.    G.    P.,    appointed    provost 

marshal   of   Dukota   territory 38 

Pen   picture   of 69 

Appointment  of,   as  member  of  the 

Wallace    "Treason"    committee...     71 
Appointment  of,  as  marshal   of  Da- 
kota  Territory    118 

Arrest    of    120 


Page. 

Walker,    Dr.    Mary 283 

Wallace,  Hon.   Reuben,  charged  with 

disloyalty    71 

War   Claims,   Dakota  Indian 294 

Warmouth,    ex-Governor,    contest    for 

seat  in   U.   S.  senate 286 

Warren,  explorations  of 27,44 

Washburn,    Governor,    election    of   to 

the   U.  S.  senate 316 

"Wash   Day"   in  congress 295 

Washington,  organization  of  the  Ter- 
ritory of   25 

Washington   Monument    395 

Washington  City,  seeing  the  sights  in 

213-216,  2^y22^ 

Congressman's  Sunday   in 228 

New  Years  in 273 

Extravagant    improvements    in 305 

Fraudulent   contracts    in 306 

Dakota   visitors   in 315 

Investigation  by  congress  of  frauds 

in    3^9 

Revisited,   after  a   quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury  395 

Washington,  visit  to  the  tomb  of 248 

Wendell   Phillips,   lecture  by 293 

Wherry,  Jesse,  appointment  of,  as  re- 
ceiver Vermillion  land  office 32 

Whitney,  Governor,  revocation  bj',   of 

assignment  ot  Dakota  judges 264 

White  Stone  Hills,  battle  of 38 

Wilkinson,  M.,  appointment  of,  as 
receiver   Vermillion   land   offtce...    34 

Williams,    Attorney    General 272,280 

Williams,    J.    L.,    appointed    associate 

justice  of  Dakota  territory 31 

Williston,   L.   P.,   appointed  associate 

justice  of  Dakota  territory 31 

Wilson,  Vice  President,  speech  by,  at 

Woman's  Suffrage  Convention 2'i^ 

Wind  River  and  Rocky  Mountain 
Mining  and  Transportation  Com- 
pany      105 

Winnebagoes.      (See,    also,    Indians.) 

Origin  of  tribe 12 

Removed  from  Minnesota  to   Dako- 
ta        38 

Wood,  Fernando,   Congressman. .  .333  337 
Wood,  Bly,  election  of,  as  member  of 

Dakota  territorial  legislature 70 

Wright,  Senator,  bill  introduced  by 
to  reduce   congressional   salaries..  2-9 

Yankton,    founding   of 29 

Chosen  as  permanent  capital  of  Da- 
kota   territory    33 

Early   activity   at 68 

A  journey   from,   to   .St.   Paul 188 

^■anktons.     (See,  also,   Indians.) 
Region  occupied  by  the 13 


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